Marvel doesn’t always confirm massive fan theories in trailers, but in the case of “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” they opted to do just that. In the latest teaser for the upcoming MCU movie, it is confirmed that at some point in the film, Stephen Strange will be dealing with the Illuminati.
In the comics, the Illuminati is a secretive group of superheroes working behind the scenes, and its lineup could pave the way for some major cameos.
The reveal comes courtesy of Chiwetel Ejiofor’s Karl Mordo. In a new teaser posted on Tuesday morning, we see a shot of Strange entering a meeting hall that has become all too familiar at this point. But this time, Mordo ominously announces “The Illuminati will see you now.”
Obviously, the “Doctor Strange 2” teaser doesn’t do anything in terms of revealing who is in this incarnation of the Illuminati, but it at least confirms suspicions that fans have held since the first trailer for the film came out, in that it will exist in the MCU.
Of course, fans are pretty sure that Patrick Stewart’s Professor Xavier is one of the Illuminati members, as an earlier trailer seemingly revealed his voice, and Stewart himself later semi-confirmed that it was in fact him. And that would make sense, considering Xavier was always a member in the comics.
So, who else might show up? Well, there are a lot of possibilities. In the comics, the Illuminati included Black Bolt, king of the Inhumans, Namor the Sub-Mariner, King of Atlantis and Iron Man. Granted, Iron Man is dead in the MCU — but this is the multiverse. Anything is possible, including a new incarnation of the genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist.
It’s also worth noting that Reed Richards, founding member of the Fantastic Four, is also typically in the Illuminati, and Marvel does have a Fantastic Four movie in development. At this point, no castings have been announced for that one.
But again, the “Doctor Strange” sequel is all about the multiverse. If Reed were to show up, he could be played by anyone, and then by someone totally different in the Fantastic Four film.
You can watch the latest teaser for “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” in the video above.