Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is headed our way real soon and there are Endgame levels of possibilities for what could happen in this one. It’s going to be total madness when Wanda wreaks havoc upon the multiverse. After the ending of WandaVision, her next logical step should be to find a reality where her kids are alive. And here, she might come across the multiversal Illuminati, as suggested by the last trailer of Doctor Strange 2. But my theory is that in a twisted way, the Illuminati will replace the Avengers in the MCU.
The Multiversal Illuminati
The recent trailer hinted at almost all the members of the Illuminati that are coming into the mix. We heard Patrick Stewart’s Professor X. The Ultron sentries teased Tom Cruise’s Superior Iron Man. We saw Maria Rambeau’s Captain Marvel variant battling Wanda. Master Mordo was seen walking across the chairs of the Illuminati members and he was battling Doctor Strange. The official poster of the film also suggested that Captain Carter will appear. So, she could be the fifth member. Black Bolt is a rumored member, and then there’s the obvious one, i.e. Mr. Fantastic. So, there could be a total of 6-7 members in the team.
I believe that in order to establish the Scarlet Witch as a true threat to all multiversal realities, Marvel will make her kill most of these Illuminati members. We should not expect this Illuminati team to survive the film. Although, that doesn’t mean the end of their brand itself. Multiverse of Madness is introducing “an” Illuminati in order to establish “The Illuminati!” What I mean is that by the end of Doctor Strange 2, we could get an MCU-based Illuminati, and they will be the true replacement of the Avengers.
The Last Avengers Movie
Recently, Kevin Feige stated that Avengers: Endgame was the “final Avengers film.” He said, “Marvel Studios and the Marvel Cinematic Universe is now past their tenth anniversary and with the release of the final Avengers movie, we’ve finally completed a 22-movie Infinity Saga.”
We’ve all been thinking that a Secret Wars Avengers project is quite inevitable. But we also know that Feige’s use of words is very particular every time. So Endgame may very well be the last Avengers movie because the big boss has something else up his sleeve. It’s none other than the Illuminati. They could be the replacement to the Avengers team and the franchise itself. Sure, I mean Avengers is an established brand and any movie with an Avengers title would break the bank. But let me just give you a prospect for The Illuminati.
MCU’s Illuminati Will Replace The Avengers
This is an alliance formed by the leaders of all major Marvel wings. In the books, we had Iron Man (representing the Avengers), Namor (the King of Atlantis), Black Bolt (the Inhuman King), Professor X (leader of the X-Men), and Doctor Strange (the Sorcerer Supreme). Other members also came and went away, but these 6 were prominent and united all factions of Marvel groups under one name. And that’s what the MCU is in dire need of right now.
Endgame united all heroes under the Avengers banner. We had Guardians, the OG Avengers, other heroes, the Wakandans, the Sorcerers, Asgardians, and Ravagers battling as Avengers. But there are even more teams of heroes coming into the mix. We’ve got the Fantastic Four, X-Men, a British team, and several others forming their unions. All of them would be spread across the world fighting battles on different fronts. But after what Wanda does in Multiverse of Madness, Doctor Strange should realize that the MCU needs its own Illuminati.
The M o M trailer showed us the statue of a Doctor Strange variant, which suggested that this statue variant may have begun the Multiversal Illuminati team. So now, our Doctor Strange could go on to look for MCU’s Illuminati members too. We could have Carol Danvers representing the cosmic front. Sam Wilson could be the Avengers leader joining in. Namor will soon go from an Antagonist to a protagonist, so he should come into the picture. Mr. Fantastic would be a member once he gets introduced. The next leader of Wakanda may or may not be brought in as the sixth member. And when the Professor X of MCU’s Earth-199999 finally shows up, he could also be a part of the team.
Why Though?
The core basis of this team would be to unite all heroes against threats like the Scarlet Witch. What she does next will have permanent consequences. So, to prevent beings like her from putting the universe/multiverse at risk again, we’ll get a new Illuminati lineup, and perhaps a franchise with that name. This may be the only team that could deliver something as big as that Endgame battle sequence. And their first couple of threats could be a World Breaker Hulk, or perhaps Kang the Conqueror.
Do you think Marvel can actually replace the Avengers with the Illuminati? Can this team become as big as the Avengers? Let us know in the comments.
