WandaVision star Julian Hilliard responded to fans speculating that he'll appear in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness with a reference to the House of M comic book event.
Hilliard, who plays Billy Maximoff in the Disney+ series, tweeted an altered panel from House of M which features a close-up of a tearful Scarlet Witch saying "No more rumors." This follows several unsubstantiated reports that the actor will reprise his role in Multiverse of Madness. The image is in reference to Wanda taking away the powers of all mutants in the Marvel universe, following the traumatic events of the now infamous comic book storyline.
Published in 2005, the core House of M series was written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Olivier Coipel, with several tie-in stories produced by a variety of other creative teams. The story sees Scarlet Witch reshape reality following a trauma-induced breakdown, resulting in an alternate reality where mutants, not humans, are the dominant species on the planet. House of M ends with Earth's heroes restoring reality to the way it was, but not before Wanda utters the phrase, "No more mutants," reducing the Marvel Universe's mutant population from millions to hundreds.
House of M was a major influence on WandaVision, with several plot elements -- notably, a grief-stricken Scarlet Witch conjuring up her own reality -- carrying across from the comics to the screen. Actor Paul Bettany even cited WandaVision's connection to House of M as a key reason why he ultimately signed on for the project. "[W]e talked about two comic book stories that I really love: House of M and The Visions [sic]," recalled Bettany. "... it was sort of a mash-up between them, and also with a sort of loving look at American sitcoms throughout the American century. I was like, 'I'm in!'"
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness looks set to pick up where WandaVision left off, with Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch joining Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange for a journey through the multiverse. The upcoming sequel will see the introduction of several new characters, including Xochitl Gomez's America Chavez/Miss America and interdimensional beast Gargantos.
Multiverse of Madness' cross-dimensional setting is also rumored to facilitate the return of several familiar faces, including Hayley Atwell's Captain Carter and even the X-Men franchise's Patrick Stewart, reprising the role of Professor X. Some fans are convinced that Billy Maximoff and his brother Tommy will appear in the movie, however, there's currently no evidence to suggest this is the case.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness arrives in cinemas on May 6.
Source: Twitter