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If Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness featured a multiverse version of the Illuminati, who of the Marvel heroes could be part of the team?
With the release of a new trailer for the Super Bowl, it appears that Doctor Strange and the Scarlet Witch's journey through alternate realities in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will attract the attention of a multiverse superhero team, the Illuminati, which could consist of a variety of MCU mainstays and newcomers. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness promises a multiverse event bigger than Spider-Man: No Way Home. After all, the story will center around the most powerful Marvel wizard ever and the most dangerous witch ever.
Given the overwhelmingly positive reception for the return of Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, Willem Dafoe, and Alfred Molina in Spider-Man: No Way Home, Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness might need a cameo or two as Marvel fans either already love or are eager to join the MCU. Technically, the concept of the multiverse makes it possible for any iteration of any character to appear, but factors such as plot suitability and actor availability must also be taken into account. However, Dr. Strange's central role in preserving reality means that a variety of multi-world Marvel characters can emerge. So, what better way to justify their submission than to group them into a team like the Illuminati?
In Marvel Comics, the Illuminati is a secret team of highly intelligent and high-impact superheroes who make decisions about things that will save the world. The trailer for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness impressively offers up the possibility of translating this team into live-action as a multiverse commission instead. Thanks to the promo, at least one member of the team has been confirmed, but with the original lineup of Iron Man, Black Panther, Black Bolt, Namor, Professor X, and Mister Fantastic, it's unlikely all characters from one world will unite in the MCU. So, what other characters could she replace? Here are the most likely possibilities.
Defender Strange
Promotional material for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has confirmed the appearance of at least one more variant of Doctor Strange besides the evil Strange Supreme appearing in the first full trailer. Dubbed a Defender Strange, she wears a black and red suit and has her hair in a ponytail. From what universe this strange variant comes from and what his role in the film will be will remain a mystery, but his nickname "The Defender" probably hints at his status as the protector of the multiverse.
The original defenders of Marvel - Doctor Strange, Namor, and Hulk, with Silver Surfer and Valkyrie as recurring members - initially faced cosmic threats while the Avengers focused on earthly battles. Since Daredevil's incorporation of Charlie Cox and Vincent Donofrio Kingpin into the MCU suggests that street-level defenders in Netflix have a chance to return, Defender Strange could instead lead his team of heroes - this time as captain of the Illuminati. It stands to reason that other variants of Doctor Strange across the multiverse are fighting to protect reality as much as Benedict Cumberbatch's Prime Strange. This alternate might have held the title of Supreme Magician before Wong, giving him an additional five years of experience as he would have amassed a team of Multi-Realms Guardians.
Baron Mordo
Director Chiwetel Ejiofor's Karl Mordo is last seen embarking on his quest to rid the world of witches at the end of the first Doctor Strange movie. By the time Doctor Strange spins into a multiverse frenzy, Mordo may have doubled down on his desire to destroy all wizards, or he could have realized that the Multiverse needed the right magical users to protect it by killing those who put him in danger (hence his line The ominous "The greatest threat to our universe...is you"). To eliminate threats from the various MCU universes, Mordo could suspend his mission and join forces with Defender Strange. However, there's also a possibility that the long-haired Mordo seen in the trailer for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness comes from a different world - a world where he vowed to protect his reality as the Supreme Wizard.
Clea
Clea, the Dark Dimension witch who left the world of Dormammu to master the mystical arts with Doctor Strange in the comics, has yet to be mentioned in the MCU. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is already too crowded to introduce a whole new character, but the emergence of the multiverse Illuminati may give Clea a chance to present him as a full-fledged witch who has already escaped from Dormammu's Dark Dimension without the need for Doctor Strange help. What makes Clea a candidate for the MCU's Illuminati is Rachel McAdams' Christine Palmer appearance in the trailer, where she appears to be wearing her costume and traveling through the multiverse alongside Doctor Strange and America Chavez. This Kristen can be a multi-worlds variable trained in the mysterious arts and joins Defender Strange and Mordo on their mission to oversee and protect all realities from a distance.
Professor X
Arguably the biggest reveal of the newly released trailer for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is the inclusion of Professor Charles Xavier from director Patrick Stewart, speaking with the phrase "we should tell him the truth." A founding member of the Illuminati in Comics, Professor X is a core member of the team and serves as the face of the Mutants when discussing threats and mundane issues. Now that Disney has acquired the rights to Marvel's catalog of mutated characters from Fox's X-Men movie series, this presents the best chance yet to bring back avatars like Patrick Stewart's Professor X. Stewart's appearance in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was officially part of the MCU after more than 20 years playing the character.
Captain Carter
Captain Carter is another confirmed presence in the Doctor Strange sequel, although its inclusion is a more subtle revelation. On the movie poster, a shattered piece of glass can be seen with a reflection showing Captain Carter's shield. As a potential member of the MCU's Multi-Illuminati, Captain Carter ticks every box. Hayley Atwell's performance is especially popular among MCU fans, and a multi-variant Peggy Carter has already been introduced in What If...? The character's intelligence, strength, and leadership skills fit right in with a team of multi-scenes guardians. The only detail complicating matters is her membership with the Guardians of the Multiverse, as described in What If? Conclusion.
However, the return of the Strange Supreme in the Doctor Strange sequel sets the What If...? into question, as he is supposed to be trapped in his dimension while guarding Kilmonger and Ultron who controls Zola until the end of time. One solution is to reveal that both the Strange Supreme and Captain Carter in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness are more new variants of the new MCU characters introduced in What If...? They have different rides in live motion. No matter what the MCU plans to do with the next character, introducing the exciting Captain Carter as part of the Illuminati in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is a golden opportunity.
Mr.Fantastic
Another original founding member of the Illuminati who could appear in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is Reed Richards aka Mr. Fantastic. As the leader of the Fantastic Four and one of the most intelligent characters in all of Marvel, his introduction as a multi-scenes guardian is fitting - not to mention that he's the ancestor of Nathaniel Richards aka Kang the Conqueror, who is expected to be a major MCU villain in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and Beyond. Mr. Fantastic will star Jon Watts' Fantastic Four, alongside Invisible Woman, The Thing, and the Human Torch, but a more seasoned alternative to the hero could top the Illuminati before that. If Mr. Fantatic's first appearance in the MCU is reserved for the Fantastic Four, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness could seize the opportunity to re-iterate Ioan Gruffud for Reed Richards, thus uniting the well-known live-action universe inclusion in the MCU's multiverse.