Audiences are going 😲 for Marvel Studios’ #DoctorStrange in the Multiverse of Madness! Experience the global phenomenon NOW PLAYING only in theaters. Get Tickets: https://t.co/SJijOyGxXd pic.twitter.com/BjJ7uYSvck
— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) May 28, 2022
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is a film that did very well at the box office, and yet, has some fans asking some hard questions. Not the least of which was about the appearances and “true roles” of certain characters. Key among them being the on-screen appearance of the Illuminati. For those who don’t know, this is a “secret group” from the comics that usually had the “best minds” of the Marvel Comics universe coming together to try and solve the biggest problems around.
They were the ones who sent the Hulk into space (and that backfired bigtime), they kept the Infinity Stones apart for a while (that worked out better enough), and, as teased in Multiverse of Madness, they were the ones who first saw, and tried to stop, the Incursion threat from the “Time Runs Out” arc.
In the Doctor Strange sequel, they were the ones who were afraid that Strange himself was a bigger threat than Wanda, and…they were very wrong about that. And yet, when the Illuminati arrived, and had some key cameos that weren’t spoiled (yet), fans were excited. Which was proven by Marvel in the tweet above, as they went and showcased the reactions to some of these characters as they arrived on screen.
In this form, the Illuminati were Baron Mordo, Captain Marvel (Maria Rambeau), Captain Carter, Professor X, Black Bolt, and Mister Fantastic. A very robust and diverse roster of characters perfectly capturing who the Illuminati were supposed to be (while being a lot more inclusive than the comics version at times…).
The problem? Well, as many lamented, these characters were just “window dressing” to get people excited…because they all died (save for Baron Mordo) within minutes of being introduced, and in ways that kind of undermined the plot of the film.
Still, for that brief set of moments, people were happy, and that is technically what matters.
Source: Twitter