The following contains major spoilers for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, now playing in theaters.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness introduced a major team to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the form of the Illuminati. However, it wasn't exactly the same group that fans know from the comics. Robert Downey Jr.'s exit from the MCU in Avengers: Endgame prevented Iron Man from joining the team, even if it was in a totally different universe. Likewise, other members, like Namor and Black Panther, had their own issues when it came to being included in the new cinematic version of the team.
Although the issues with these characters could have caused problems, it was quite the opposite. In fact, it presented a unique opportunity for change, and not just in introducing unseen characters like Professor X to the MCU. No, the biggest change to the Illuminati, its newest founding members, has fixed one of the biggest issues with the original team from the comics.
Whilst watching the stand-out moment from the film where Strange met the multiversal team, any fan of the comics will have noted the Illuminati here included new additions thanks to What If...?'s Captain Carter and the new Maria Rambeau Captain Marvel. Although they're notable for being very different from their variants from the MCU fans know and love, their inclusion here gives the Illuminati two women as its founding members.
The original team in the comics was created by Brian Michael Bendis and Steve McNiven, and debuted in New Avengers #7. The team comprised Iron Man, Doctor Strange, Professor X, Mister Fantastic, Black Bolt, and Namor the Submariner. Black Panther was also present for the team's first meeting but declined to join originally. However, despite his initial reservations about the group, he later joined.
The original members met in secret, but the point of each member was that they could represent certain groups in the Marvel Universe. Iron Man and Xavier represent important groups the Avengers and the X-Men respectively, and Black Panther and Namor represent nations in the form of Wakanda and Atlantis. Even still, there's one glaring point to be made about the Illuminati's members - they're all men. These heroes got together in secret to decide the fate of the Marvel Universe for some of its most important moments. It seems like a glaring omission on their part to not include any women. They already seemed to have dangerously insular ideas when they first met, something Black Panther pointed out, so excluding women limits their perspective on the world even more.
It's not like the Illuminati hasn't included women in the past though. However, admittedly, the only female member in the mainstream Marvel universe was Medusa, Blackbolt's wife. Other universes included the likes of Shuri, Emma Frost, and Betsy Braddock but not much beyond that. All in all, the Illuminati of the comics is known for being a boys club. The inclusion of Captain Carter and Captain Marvel in the latest film is a welcome one then. Even more so considering they're founding members of the group in that universe, and not just included later on, like Medusa was in the comics. It gives the team a broader perspective and implies that they see their world clearer than their comic book counterparts.
Does the inclusion of women on the team make up for all the Illuminati's failings though? Of course not. There was a lot more wrong with this clandestine group than its sexist origins. The fact that this select group of people decided, in secret, to change the fate of the whole world whenever they deemed necessary shows they're far from the good guys. Even if they are heroes, their actions haven't always been heroic. In the comics, they've decided the final fates of entire universes and, in the film, they executed Strange for using the Darkhold.
As well as that, the Maria Rambeau and Peggy Carter of the prime universe of the MCU founded S.W.O.R.D. and S.H.I.E.L.D. respectively. Even though those organizations have done good, they've also been used for evil, especially in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s case. Their inclusion may be progress for the group, but they won't change the misguided ethos of the group - if anything, they encourage it even more.