Who are Illuminati in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

Marvel Studios appears to be trying to outdo themselves with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Spider-Man: No Way Home was a significant departure in the MCU because it was the first film in the franchise to include the concept of a multiverse.

Illuminati in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Courtesy:Marvel

But Sam Raimi's Multiverse of Madness, in which Benedict Cumberbatch reprises his role as the titular character, goes far further. Characters in the film travel to several realities in the MCU multiverse to combat a new enemy that threatens all of reality.


While Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness introduces a slew of new characters, relics, and comic book events, the Marvel Cinematic Universe's take of the Illuminati is undeniably superior. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is based on a Marvel Comics group of the same name and involves a live-action rendition of a secret society of heroes that act behind humanity's back to decide the fate of the world. The Illuminati brings together some of the universe's most powerful heroes, including alternate versions of Earth-616 heroes and characters who have yet to make their canonical MCU debut. But who are the members of the Illuminati in Erath-838? What brought the hidden group together?


The Founder of the Illuminati, Stephen Strange 838

The Founder of the Illuminati, Stephen Strange 838 in Dr Strange 2
Courtesy:Marvel

As revealed in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Earth-838's Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) formed the Illuminati to make difficult judgments that the majority of humankind are not prepared to face. While it's unclear when Stephen founded the Illuminati, the organization was already operational when Thanos (Josh Brolin) went after the Infinity Stones to carry out his homicidal scheme. Stephen's pragmatic reasoning led him to encourage his most powerful supporters to start making decisions in the shadows, much as he was willing to let Thanos slaughter half the universe's life to ensure the Avengers would win in the end on Earth-616.

In various universes, Stephen from Earth-838 used the Darkhold to find ways to defeat Thanos. His mission was to scour the Multiverse for formidable weapons capable of stopping the enemy from cracking the Infinity Gauntlet. Stephen did discover a weapon capable of slaying Thanos, the famous Book of Vishanti, but it came at the cost of destroying a whole reality. People that travel the Multiverse risk causing different realities to collide, potentially destroying one or both of them. The Illuminati chose to kill their Doctor Strange in order to prevent Earth-838 from ever disappearing since Stephen was irresponsible and egotistical.

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Stephen from Earth-838 backed this action wholeheartedly, warning his companions that other versions of himself could one day breach the dimensional divide and endanger everyone. The Illuminati kept the truth of Stephen's death hidden by claiming that Thanos killed the Master of the Mystic Arts. That's one ingenious approach for the Illuminati to keep their activities hidden while presenting a martyr who would unite the entire world and bring in a prosperous period.


Baron Mordo as Sorcerer Supreme

Baron Mordo as Sorcerer Supreme in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Courtesy:Marvel

Chiwetel Ejiofor's Baron Mordo replaces Stephen Strange as Earth-838 Sorcerer Supreme and member of the Illuminati. Mordo never became a villain intent on annihilating all wizards in this parallel universe.Instead, Mordo and Stephen maintained their fraternal bond until Doctor Strange became overly greedy with the Darkhold and wiped out trillions of lives. Mordo represents the Illuminati's magic wielders, advising them on how to deal with magical threats to reality.


Maria Rambeau as Captain Marvel

Maria Rambeau as Captain Marvel in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Courtesy:Marvel

A different person assumed the mantle (and powers) of Captain Marvel, just as Peggy Carter did on Earth-838. While Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) of Earth-616 becomes Captain Marvel, Maria Rambeau (Lashana Lynch) of the parallel universe becomes a cosmic force. Maria possesses all of the same abilities as Carol in Earth-616, leading us to believe it was Maria, not Carol, who was involved in the Kree ship explosion and overloaded with the power on the Space Stone. Surprisingly, Monica (Teyonah Parris), Maria's daughter, received her MCU superpowers as part of the WandaVision events in Earth-616.

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The First Avenger, Captain Carter

Captain Carter
Courtesy:Marvel

Peggy Carter, played by Hayley Atwell, takes the super serum in place of Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) and becomes the First Avenger on Earth-838. Peggy fights bad enemies with a Vibranium shield as Captain Carter. Peggy from Earth-838, like Steve, appears to have been stuck in time for several decades before becoming one of Earth's Mightiest Heroes. After appearing in the MCU animated series, Captain Carter became a fan favorite. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, on the other hand, does not confirm whether the Captain Carter of Earth-838 is the same as the one seen in the animated series. Given that the Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) decimated the Illuminati by slicing Captain Carter in half with her own shield, we sincerely hope not.


Professor X 

Professor X Dr Strange
Courtesy:Marvel

Professor X, the telepath Mutant and leader of the X-Men, is one of Earth-838's Illuminate's most notable members. After playing the Mutant commander in Fox's pre-MCU film trilogy, Patrick Stewart reprises his role as Professor X in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Professor X on Earth-838 rides in a golden futuristic wheelchair similar to the one seen in the Mutants animated series from the 1990s. The design resemblance could be related to the impending X-Men '97, a Disney+ relaunch of the animated series set to premiere in mid-2023.We're also waiting for Mutants to appear on Earth-616, so Professor X's appearance could be hinting that the X-Men will be joining the MCU soon.

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The Fantastic Four's Reed Richards

The Fantastic Four's Reed Richards in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Courtesy:Marvel

Fans of the MCU have yearned for John Krasinski to play Reed Richards, the captain of the Fantastic Four, for a long time. It actually happened! Krasinski is currently the sole official Reed Richards in the MCU, even if just for a cameo. Now we may cross our fingers that the actor will reprise his role as the hero from Earth-616 when the Fantastic Four film resumes production. The Fantastic Four initially consisted of the Thing/Ben Grimm, the Invisible Woman/Susan Storm Richards, and the Human Torch/Johnny Storm, in addition to Reed. Reed and Susan have two superpowered children, Franklin and Valeria, after they marry.Because the Earth-838 version of Reed Richards tells Wanda that he is married and a father, it's worth mentioning. So, if Earth-838 can have the entire Fantastic Four family, we can only hope that Earth-616 will be able to do the same.


The Inhumans' Black Bolt

Black Bolt in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Courtesy:Marvel

No one expected to see Anson Mount reprise his role as Blackagar Boltagon, the Inhumans' king. The hero, who goes by the name Black Bolt, is a member of a mutant superhuman species that lives on the moon's dark side in the beautiful city of Attilan. Black Bolt is one of Marvel's most powerful characters, capable of demolishing huge buildings with barely a whisper. That's why Black Bolt prefers to stick to himself and keep quiet. Mount previously starred as Black Bolt in ABC's canceled series from 2017.The plan was to introduce the Inhumans and have them interact with the rest of the MCU at the time, but the series tanked so badly that Disney decided it was best to ignore it. Which is unfortunate. Inhumans established a great array of characters, despite all it did wrong. So, let's hope Mount's return heralds the Inhumans' imminent arrival in the MCU. And, because the Multiverse is canon, we can pretend that the failed series took place in an other timeframe and just bring back the cherished characters for a new plot.

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Trying to guess what Marvel has planned for its characters is always a risky proposition, and this is no exception.

Regardless of whether the Illuminati's influence in the MCU extends beyond Multiverse of Madness, it's worth emphasizing that the group's imminent appearance isn't significant simply because it will reunite Captain Carter and Professor X. The Illuminati are a strong superhuman organization, and their appearance marks yet another upheaval in the MCU's established hierarchy.


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