Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness

Warning : SPOILERS forDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness !

The Illuminati join the Marvel Cinematic Universe inDoctor Stange in the Multiverse of Madnessbut the lineup is all wrong . Marvel studio apartment revealed its plan to have the all - powerful superteam from the comics inDoctor Strange 2during other marketing materials . The tease ofPatrick Stewart ’s Professor Xamong an unidentifiable batting order of Marvel characters like a shot point the programme for The Illuminati . However , Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessdelivers a rather surprising lineup of characters , as it leans into the farthermost theory of the multiverse .

In improver to Professor X , Doctor Strange 2 ’s Illuminati squad include Maria Rambeau / Captain Marvel ( Lashana Lynch ) , Peggy Carter / Captain Carter ( Hayley Atwell ) , Black Bolt ( Anson Mount ) , Mr. Fantastic ( John Krasinski ) , and Karl Mordo ( Chiwetel Ejiofor ) . The Illuminati sequences in the picture are sure as shooting exciting , but the impact of the team is a flake more limited . Someone like Krasinski ’s Reed Richards is a take of fan - casting that not all audiences will be familiar with , whileBlack Bolt ’s castingreferences a failedInhumansTV show . They are a compounding of deep - ignore point of reference to Marvel history and fetch new and intimate characters from the MCU to the lineup .

01560295_poster_w780.jpg

Related : Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness Ending Explained ( In Detail )

It is apprehensible on some tier why Marvel Studios pass in this focus . Doctor Strange 2 ’s Illuminate squad pays homage to the comics in several instances , specifically as it comes to introducing non - MCU characters / concepts like Professor X and the X - human beings , Black Bolt and the Inhumans , and Reed Richards and the Fantastic Four . All three of them are character reference to the original funny card , but that does n’t work as well with how the MCU presently appear . Based on the questions that rise by including some of these members , Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnesswould have been better off using variants of established MCU characters for the entire squad . If that was the strategy Marvel used , Doctor Strange 2 ’s   Illuminati teamcould have looked something like this .

Captain Marvel (Maria Rambeau)

The solitary extremity ofDoctor Strange 2 ’s Illuminati squad that should remain is the Maria Rambeau discrepancy of Captain Marvel , as played by Lashana Lynch . Maria Rambeau was a standout type inCaptain Marvel , but she did n’t get to do much besides being Carol Danvers ' serious friend . SinceWandaVisiondecided to pop the character , she was mostly wasted in the MCU . Making Maria Rambeau the Captain Marvel on an Illuminati team from the multiverse gain a lot of sensation in that regard . Doctor Strange 2shows just how capable of a superhero Maria Rambeau would be if she had been selected as Mar - Vell ’s flying better half , crashed her plane due to the Kree , and then receivedpowers from the Tesseract . The latter tie her to the Space Stone also works well for The Illuminati , as it gives the team someone directly connected to the population ’s most potent artifacts .

Captain America (Bucky Barnes)

As large as it was to see Hayley Atwell as a live - action Captain Carter , Marvel already did this construct inMarvel ’s What If … ?So when it total to figuring out an alternate hero to serve on The Illuminati inDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness , this could have been the utter place to make Sebastian Stan ’s Bucky Barnes Captain America . Stan has had the opportunity to convey multiple share of Bucky ’s comic book history to life , but him being Captain America is not in the cards . Marvel Studios madeSam Wilson Captain Americawhen Steve Rogers retire afterAvengers : Endgame , bypassing Bucky for the Mickey Charles Mantle . The Illuminati was a great opportunity to give audiences a glimpse of what Bucky Barnes ' Captain America could be like , although perhaps it was viewed as being too presently since Sam took the title for Marvel to do this inDoctor Strange 2 .

Tom Cruise’s Iron Man

Doctor Strange 2 ’s Illuminati squad expire out of its way in many cause to adhere to the cartoon strip lineup , but the biggest founding member it left out was Iron Man . The tease of Ultron scout bots inDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessteased that Iron Man was involved with the team , but the movie would ’ve been better off include a version of him .   It is way too soon for Marvel to bring Robert Downey Jr. back afterTony Stark ’s death inAvengers : Endgame , but that is where Tom Cruise could have step in . Prior to the MCU beginning , Tom Cruise was meant to star in anIron Manmovie . He never got the opportunity to wager Tony Stark and has yet to take on any superhero property . However , a cameo as an Iron Man variant would have   given him a depressed - stakes chance to get involved with the MCU , while The Illuminati would have their Tony Stark .

Related : Doctor Strange 2 Just Made Iron Man ’s Endgame Death Even Worse

Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s Quicksilver

Quicksilver had one of the shortest journies in the MCU of any major Marvel comics character , but that could have been rectified through The Illuminati . Pietro Maximoff is not ordinarily link with the team in the strip , and yet he ’d be an excellent choice forDoctor Strange 2based on the story it state . The Illuminati are put in a position of having to campaign Scarlet Witch because they are trying to protectAmerica Chavez and her powers . Scarlet Witch brutally kills each of the Illuminati members inDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessand does so without any hesitation . The appearance of Aaron Taylor - Johnson as a Quicksilver strain would at least create a moment of interruption for Wanda , as she would have to figure out if kill a rendering of her brother was a price worth paying to potentially be reunify with her children .

Ant-Man (Hank Pym)

Ant - Man has been part of the MCU since Phase 2 , but with Scott Lang having taken over the mantle , Hank Pym ’s day as a superhero are largely abandon . Doctor Strange 2 ’s multiverse Illuminati squad was a great opportunity for Marvel to situate this and show him in action at law . Michael Douglas ' character could occupy a like place as Professor X did , serving as the elder statesman of the roster who is also well - versify in a variety of concepts , which could includetime journey thanks to the Quantum Realm . Hank Pym ’s Ant - Man might not be as inherently potent as some other members , but his experience and scientific glare could be where he really helps the squad . Plus , afterMarvel ’s What If … ?saw Hank make a villainous tour , it would be nice for the MCU to acknowledge his heroic verse - even if he ’s a bit cynical .

Black Panther (Erik Killmonger)

The last submarine who should have been inDoctor Strange 2 ’s Illuminati team is Black Panther , but with Erik Killmonger ( Michael B. Jordan ) underneath the vibranium suit . Marvel ’s What If … ?showed a version of this story , which might have made this decision feel a piece repetitive . However , Killmonger ’s Black Pantherstill work evil in that universe . Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnesswas a bang-up opportunity for Jordan to return as Killmonger in alive - military action and actually get to fiddle a larger-than-life interpretation of the character . This would also allow Wakanda and the Black Panther mantle to be represent without recasting T’Challa through the multiverse and bringing back a great MCU role player / character combo from before .

More : Doctor Strange 2 ’s Biggest ( & Best ) Cameo explain

A split image of Doctor Strange, Captain Marvel, and Killmonger

Captain Marvel uses her powers in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

Bucky Barnes Captain America

Tom Cruise Iron man Casting avengers 5 remaining characters Secret wars

Poster for Quicksilver in Avengers: Age of Ultron

Ant-Man Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) Set Interview

Killmonger sitting on the Wakandan throne in Black Panther

Movies