MCU Theory: Bruce Campbell Is Secretly The Marvel Multiverse's Most Powerful God
As is tradition in Sam Raimi's directorial efforts, Bruce Campbell makes an appearance in "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness." Overall, he doesn't have much to do in the film, simply playing a street vendor on Earth-838 known as the Pizza Poppa. He gives Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) some trouble, and that's about the extent of his Marvel Cinematic Universe presence. However, a fan theory suggests that there could be more to Campbell in the blockbuster franchise than we've all been led to believe.
Redditor u/CharlieBluCat has brought forth the idea that Campbell's true MCU alter-ego is the god-like being known as the Beyonder. For those unfamiliar, the Beyonder is the cosmic entity responsible for creating Battleworld and kicking off the famous "Secret Wars" storyline. To support this theory, the Reddit user highlights eyebrow-raising remarks Campbell makes in "The Making of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness." "At the end Bruce Campbell talks about having an epiphany of sorts, like conjuring an other [sic] reality from the ground up, time and space can bend according to those pulling the strings," they wrote, claiming this is a hint that he'll be revealed as the MCU's hidden puppet master, the Beyonder.
The Beyonder is rumored to debut in the MCU via "Avengers: Secret Wars," albeit as a Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors) variant. Assuming this isn't the case, is there a chance we'll see Campbell take on the role? It's worth noting that the actor himself has further teased something big for himself in the Multiverse Saga.
Campbell has hinted that there's more to his Marvel presence than meets the eye
One of the Beyonder's defining features is his fascination with humanity. Not being one himself, he spends time studying humans and yearns to experience their world firsthand. This eventually leads him to create a human-like form so he can do so. In the context of the theory stating that Bruce Campbell is the MCU's Beyonder, this is relevant because the actor has claimed that all of his previous Marvel roles — the ring announcer from "Spider-Man," the usher from "Spider-Man 2," the French maître d' from "Spider-Man 3," and the Pizza Poppa from "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" – are all the same individual. Whoever this person is could be a major player, too.
"I'm not a pizza vendor, OK? That would be a massive mistake to think I'm just a pizza vendor, or an usher, or a ring announcer, or a maître d'. It's called the multiverse, my friend. So, yes, he is the same character, but we don't know who he really is," Campbell explained during a chat with ComicBook.com, revealing he has kept in contact with the folks at Marvel Studios about his character. While it's entirely possible that this is nothing more than a jokey exaggeration, there's always a chance that he's telling the truth. Perhaps these seemingly innocuous characters are examples of Campbell's Beyonder experiencing the Multiverse from a human perspective.
Hopefully, MCU fans can expect some clarification regarding Bruce Campbell's comments, his true role in the franchise, and the status of the Beyonder as the Multiverse Saga continues to unfold.