Doctor Strange 2 Producer Confirms What We Suspected About The Illuminati's MCU Future
Watching Reed Richards (John Krasinski) get turned into spaghetti is probably not how fans thought they would see the leader of the Fantastic Four return to the big screen. A version of Mr. Fantastic makes yet another onscreen debut in "Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness" as a member of a secret organization known as the Illuminati. The Illuminati is a group that has long existed in the Marvel Comics universe and contains some of the smartest characters of the franchise such as Charles Xavier, Tony Stark, and Black Bolt (via Marvel.com). But when the Illuminati unexpectedly made it in "Doctor Strange 2," it was clear that they were not long for this world.
In a spree of murderous rage, Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) confronts the team and takes out some of the most powerful members, essentially making the Illuminati just a list of cameos. But is that the last audiences have seen of the secret society, determined to protect the world by any means necessary? Some producers of "Doctor Strange 2" have theories about the future of the ensemble.
We may see more of the Illuminati in the MCU
Fans may have clamored to see John Krasinski play a new Reed Richards, but he was just one casualty of many in "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness." The deaths of the Illuminati were brutal and seemingly quite permanent. Black Bolt's (Anson Mount) brain implodes, while Captain Carter (Hayley Atwell) is sadly cut down by her own shield. But as producer for the film Richie Palmer pointed out, it wouldn't be too hard to bring the ensemble back.
"To do it in an alternate universe in the multiverse was a really exciting thing, because we get to meet a version of this group in this other universe, and then we still might get to see an Illuminati of our main MCU one day, which is also very exciting," Richie stated in Disney+ documentary about the making of "Doctor Strange 2" (via Total Film). The sky's the limit now that the multiverse has been introduced. With multiple Spider-Men running around wildly and the revitalization of Black Bolt, there is no telling how or when the Illuminati will resurface. But whatever happens, it is bound to be surprising.
Richie also reminds us that the Illuminati do not function in the same way as the Avengers. While the Avengers operate on the grounds of morality, the Illuminati do not. To see a new ensemble that operates in shades of gray would surely be a refreshing change of pace.