Thanks to the 2022 Superbowl, Marvel fans got a new look atDoctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness. A new trailer and TV spots debuted during the big game. The trailer, with a handful of new scenes and new looks at familiar characters, has given fans a lot to speculate about for the coming movie. One sequence in particular, in whichDoctor Strangeis seen in a pair of high-tech handcuffs similar to those seen in theLokiseries on Disney Plus, has gotten a lot of notice in particular. That’s due in large part to Strange led right in front of a series of chairs by robots.
The question on most fans’ minds is just who is in those chairs since most of them are either empty or in shadow, leaving the answer largely a mystery. (Marvel fans also now know that characters might be digitally removed from scenes for trailers as well after major scenes inSpider-Man: No Way Home did just that.) Comic book fans have jumped to the conclusion that those chairs could be representative of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s version of the Illuminati. In the comics, the group is a secret one made of brilliant minds looking to prevent catastrophic events on the planet from occurring.
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Why The Illuminati Form
The Illuminati first made their comic book debut in 2005. Created by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Steve Niven, the group appeared in aNew Avengerscomic with the reveal that they had actually existed behind the scenes for some time.
The group was brought together out of the consequences of the Kree-Skrull war that spilled over onto Earth. The war took place decadesbefore the Skrulls began to come to Earth. Some superheroes pitched the idea of a counsel of superheroes to exchange information and help the world, reasoning that they could possibly see conflict coming a little better. They meet in secret during the events of Marvel’sCivil Warand during theSecret Invasionarc.
Secret Invasionis getting its own Disney Plus series, though how close it will be to the comic book story of Skrulls infiltrating Earth to make it their own is anyone’s guess. The MCU has depicted Skrulls as peaceful refugees from conflict with the Kree so far in movies likeCaptain Marvel.That’s very different from their comic book counterparts. If the Illuminati are revealed in the MCU inDoctor Strange’ssequel, it’s likely their origins would be slightly tweaked sinceSecret Invasionhasn’t happened yet. In fact, it’s likely they would takea more multiversal approach than the comic book founders.
Who Makes Up The Illuminati
The Illuminati is originally proposed with seven members: Tony Stark, Reed Richards, T’Challa, Black Bolt, Namor, Stephen Strange, and Charles Xavier. While versions of most of these characters have appeared on screen, they haven’t in the same universe,and some of them are no longer living in the MCU.Of course, in the comics, they don’t actually agree to Tony Stark’s original proposed terms either.
T’Challa flat out refuses to participate because he doesn’t think the different groups working together will actually work out, bringing the group down to six active members. The others agree to an extent, but they only agree to meet periodically to exchange information so that they’re all better informed about their different groups. Each member does represent different factions of Marvel comics, giving each representative a different point of view on comic book events.
As Iron Man, Tony Stark represents the more traditional superheroes in the Avengers, Reed Richards represents the scientific community more than he does the heroes of the Fantastic Four, Black Bolt represents the Inhumans, Stephen Strange the magic users, Charles Xavier the X-Men and other mutants,Namor represents Atlantis, and T’Challa the secluded kingdom of Wakanda. Other members have come and gone over the years since its inception, so the roster isn’t a permanent one, leaving the MCU plenty of room to make it their own.
How The Illuminati Might Work In The MCU
It would be nearly impossible for the Illuminati to exist in the MCU exactly as they do in the comics.Tony Stark sacrificed himself to save the universe inAvengers: Endgame, and it appears that Robert Downey Jr. won’t be reprising the role in the future. If he appeared again, it would have to be a “variant” with another actor in the role. The same would be true of T’Challa with Chadwick Boseman’s passing in real life. Namor has yet to make his MCU debut. The MCU’sInhumansseries on ABC is not considered part of the universe by most fans after it was so ill-received by audiences - and none of the characters have been acknowledged in other MCU properties.Versions of Reed Richardsand Charles Xavier have been on the screen in FOX’sFantastic FourandX-Menmovies, respectively, before Disney bought the studio out. Both of those properties are in development for the MCU in a new form.
If the Illuminati were going to be even slightly close to their comic book counterpart, that would mean introducing the MCU’s version of these characters, or it would mean creating a multiversal version of the team with actors from other franchises reprising their roles.As fans were quick to spot the voice of Patrick Stewart(but not the actor himself) in the trailer for the movie, the latter seems increasingly likely.
Rather than being brilliant minds from the same universe with the splintering multiverse in play, the members of the Illuminati are likely going to be from many different universes, working together to prevent the complete destruction of the multiverse. This wouldn’t be unlike what Disney Plus audiencessaw with the multiversal team of Avengersassembled forWhat If…?The animated series, along withLokiandSpider-Man: No Way Home, has allowed the multiverse to really be cracked open for the audience, giving a lot of new character possibilities for the MCU to play with.
Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madnesslands in theaters on July 09, 2025.
