Charlize Theron said she has not been contacted by Marvel Studios after her brief appearance as Clea in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.Theron was interviewed by journalist Josh Horowitz during the premiere of Fast X in Rome, Italy. The conversation turned to Theron's future with Marvel and the actor claimed she had not yet gotten any calls about a return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. She jokingly asked whether that might be a bad sign. "I don’t. No, I haven’t gotten a call," Theron said. "I’ve not gotten a– Is that bad? Is that bad? Is that bad? No, I’m not lying… I haven’t gotten a call. Is that bad?"
So far, Theron's only appearance as Clea has been a post-credits scene in 2022's Multiverse of Madness. At the end of the 2022 Doctor Strange sequel, when Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) has returned to his home dimension, Clea appears and tells Strange that his actions have triggered an incursion. She then invites him into a portal to the Dark Dimension. As explained in the film, an "incursion" occurs when two Earths from different universes collide with each other, destroying both dimensions if the process isn't stopped in time.
Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, Clea made her Marvel Comics debut in 1964's Strange Tales #126. In the comics, Clea is known for being the Sorcerer Supreme of the Dark Dimension. While human in appearance, she's related to the mystical Faltine and is the niece of the otherworldly villain Dormammu. She eventually marries Stephen Strange in the comics, and after Strange's death in the "Death of Doctor Strange" event in 2021, Clea takes over his role as Sorcerer Supreme until Strange eventually returns to life.
Will Charlize Theron Return to the MCU?
In an October 2022 interview, Theron admitted that she knew very little about her character, but that she's researching more in case she ever returns to the MCU. "Let’s just say I have some work to do," Theron said. "I don’t quite know who she is yet, but I will." It remains unclear whether or not Clea will return in a future MCU project.
Marvel Studios has not made any announcements about a third Doctor Strange film. However, an unconfirmed rumor from February suggested that Doctor Strange 3 had been added to Marvel's release schedule. Marvel's current release schedule includes eight upcoming feature films between now and the middle of 2026, starting with The Marvels in November and ending with Avengers: Secret Wars in 2026. Several placeholders for unannounced Marvel films are also on the official Disney release schedule, which is planned out until 2027.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is currently streaming on Disney+.
Source: Twitter