The Illuminati storyline was a big “if” for Doctor Strange, but now we know. The instant the trailer forDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessshowed up during the Super Bowl, everyone lost their minds. Instantly, perhaps even before the game was over, the internet was buzzing with wild fan theories and screengrabs of blurred images that may have only appeared for a couple of frames. Now that some of those theories have been confirmed or discredited, and those screengrabs have been pored over, the only logical thing to do is to extrapolate even further.
TheMarvel Universe is in a period of transition. Having recently ended their biggest narrative a few years ago, the next series of films have had to deal with the fallout and, unbeknownst to the characters, begin setting up for theMCU’s next 11-year story arc. There are already tiny seeds being planted everywhere. And just the trailer forDoctor Strange 2had a lot hiding in it. Having noted some popular fan theories and lined them up with significant Marvel Comics events, we can begin to glean some information off the back of Patrick Stewart’s beautiful bald head.
The Illuminati Will See You Now
On April 26th, Marvel released a “ten days left” trailer, which confirmed what everyone wasthinking about the Illuminati. Innocently enough, the reveal was accomplished by a single line from Baron Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor) “Doctor Strange, The Illuminati will see you now.”
In case you’re not up to speed, the Illuminati is a group of superheroes that secretly manipulate events to protect Earth from multiversal scale threats. Each member is a hierarch of their own little corner of the Marvel universe. Along with Doctor Strange, the seven-member council includes Professor X (founder of the X-Men), Black Bolt (King of the Inhumans), Namor (the Sub-Mariner and King of Atlantis), Reed Richards (father of The Fantastic Four), and surprisingly enough Tony Stark. So, there are a million more questions to ask now that this secret has been revealed.
If your mind isn’t already racing, here are a few questions to get you started: Does this mean the X-Men are officially part of the MCU? Is there going to be a Sub-Mariner movie? If Reed Richards is a part of the MCU? Will Doctor Doom be showing up as well? Are they going to revive Iron Man and get Robert Downey Jr. to play Tony Stark again? Again, all we can do is speculate. As for the Robert Downey Jr. thing, as much as we all want to see him back in the MCU, he has vehemently denied any desire to return as Iron Man. But then again, burying the lead in order to have a huge surprise reveal later is a very RDJ thing to do. Still, better to leave while you’re on top.
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What Happens Next?
There are a couple of ways this could go now that we’ve been given these clues. The two most important hints, aside from the obvious reveal, are the Ultron Robots leading Doctor Strange into the Illuminati chamber and an image that shows us what might be the heads of the Living Tribunal. These are some things that could blow the movie wide open to literally the topmost scale that Marvel goes to.
The Ultron bots, along with all the zombies from the trailer, are strong evidence that the events from the Disney+ seriesWhat If…?will be brought to bear in this movie. Meaning that somewhere, Ultron won his battle with the Avengers, obtained all the infinity stones, and is out to destroy the entire multiverse. But, considering other events currently taking place in Marvel’s extended universe – specifically the introduction of a lot of the Young Avengers – it’s possible that these aren’t Ultron’s robots but another person’s creation. Another person from the future. If RDJ isn’t returning to the MCU, then another Iron Man-esque character could fill his spot. It could be Nathaniel Richards, aka Iron Lad, aka Kang the Conqueror.
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While still fairly complicated, the pieces could be falling into place for Kang’s ultimate villainy to rear its ugly head in this long arc of the MCU. Nathaniel Richards is a time-traveling relative of Reed Richards and a variant of Kang. He’s influenced by another variant of Kang, who tries to inspire conquest in Nathaniel. But Nathaniel refuses and travels back in time to organize the Young Avengers to protect Earth. Using his superior technology, he becomes Iron Lad. While he’s good for a while, he eventually turns. He admires Dr. Doom (from Reed Richards’ storyline). Due to some multiversal shenanigans, he, Dr. Doom, and another villain called Annihilus combine to form one of Marvel’s most powerful threats – Doom the Annihilating Conqueror. So things might go past Kang. Things might get weird.
