Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness appears to have officially confirmed that Marvel Comics' Illuminati will factor into the film.
The latest issue of Empire magazine features a still from the upcoming Doctor Strange sequel, apparently taken from the scene in which Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) is brought before a mysterious, bald-headed figure (Patrick Stewart) -- who is flanked by other, shadowy figures. The photo's official caption confirms fans' suspicions that Strange has been detained by the Illuminati, a collection of the Marvel Universe's greatest minds. "Strange stands before the Illuminati," it reads.
The official trailer for Multiverse of Madness set the internet on fire thanks to a voice cameo by Stewart, who appears to be reprising his role as Charles Xavier/Professor X from 20th Century Fox's X-Men films. Stewart initially played coy on the matter, though eventually confirmed that was indeed his voice in the trailer. The trailer itself sparked further speculation regarding whether or not the Illuminati would play a role in the film.
In Marvel's comic book universe, the Illuminati is a secret supergroup comprised of Doctor Strange, Professor X, Iron Man, Namor, Mister Fantastic and Black Bolt. Notably, all of these characters are either part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe already, or expected to make their franchise debuts in the near future. In fact, it was Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark/Iron Man who kicked off the MCU in the first place back in 2008, though that version of the character met his demise in 2019's Avengers: Endgame.
However, in addition to Cumberbatch's reprisal as Doctor Strange and Stewart's apparent reprisal as Professor X, Multiverse of Madness is rumored to feature a multiversal Iron Man variant -- possibly a take on Marvel Comics' Superior Iron Man. Meanwhile, Namor (aka the Sub-Mariner) has long been rumored to factor into the plot of the upcoming Black Panther sequel, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. This is especially noteworthy, as T'Challa/Black Panther was present for the Illuminati's first meeting in the comics, though he declined to officially join the group.
Meanwhile, Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic is all but confirmed to be joining the MCU, with Marvel Studios having already announced a Fantastic Four reboot film to be directed by Spider-Man: No Way Home's Jon Watts. Finally, Black Bolt is technically already part of the MCU, with the character having been played by Anson Mount in ABC's Inhumans, which has ties to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.. That said, the show's canonicity remains unconfirmed and it's possible that the leader of the Inhumans will be rebooted for the MCU proper.
Cumberbatch himself was asked if the Illuminati would be in Multiverse of Madness. "Maybe. Who knows? Who knows?" he said. "I do. I know." More recently, however, producer Richie Palmer appeared to shoot down the rumors entirely. "As you saw in Spider-Man: No Way Home, some rumors ended up being true, some did not," he said. "I would love to see Tony again, but some rumors are just rumors. I will say that I love the Illuminati. But if we ever introduce the Illuminati in the future, it might be more MCU-driven and have some more ties to our characters in the MCU, versus just replicating what's in the comics."
See for yourself what role the Illuminati plays when Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness releases in theaters on May 6.
Source: Empire, via Twitter