The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a glorious world of comic book heroes to get lost in. Totalling 27 films and counting, the MCU is the highest-grossing franchise of all-time — and with good reason. From the charm of Peter Quill to the socially inept Logan, Stan Lee brought us no shortage of content, catering to just about every person’s individual entertainment needs. For some, seeing the MCU’s most powerful heroes all in one place is even more appealing, like in The Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy. One group that is less action and more talk is The Illuminati, a secret society of the super humans’ most powerful leaders.
Not to be confused with the Bavarian Illuminati, a real-life sacred society that ran for a decade in the 18th century, which many speculate is still in existence today, the MCU Illuminati is a group of leaders who come together to confront the biggest challenges to both the superhuman and the human world. That said, this mysterious group has yet to make an actual appearance within the MCU. However, with the latest Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness trailer possibly signaling The Illuminati’s debut, not to mention the amount of speculation circulating about The Illuminati gaining their own film in the MCU, many have been wondering: what exactly is The Illuminati in the MCU?
Who Are The Illuminati?
The Illuminati are a secret society and group of the world’s most powerful superheroes in the MCU. Members of the Illuminati have changed over the years, but the staple characters are Charles Xavier, Doctor Strange, Black Bolt, Reed Richards AKA Mister Fantastic, Namor the Sub-Mariner and Iron Man. Each of these members is the leader of a group of heroes within the MCU. Their job as The Illuminati is to maintain a status of peace between the superhuman and the mortal world. The group was formed by Tony Stark after the Kree-Skull War, with the leaders deciding that they would meet to discuss how the groups would interact with one another. The group saw a great deal of internal struggle as disagreements with how to handle conflict arose between the members. The Illuminati were eventually destroyed by Black Bolt who revealed himself to be a Skrull whose goal was to destroy The Illuminati from the inside out.
Who Could Be Part of the MCU’s Illuminati?
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Not every character within the MCU is capable of being a member of such an important group. At the time of the group’s inception, T’challa AKA Black Panther refused to join The Illuminati despite the fact that the group was formed to unite the super humans and aid his people. It’s obvious that while there are no concrete prerequisites to who is allowed to sit at the secret society’s table, those who do sit at the table all have one thing in common: they are leaders of superhumans. As such, these leaders have a great deal of responsibility on their shoulders, including protecting the universe from true evil as well as keeping their fellow heroes in check. Not everyone is able to handle this responsibility, which is why the members are the most powerful, most intelligent, and most responsible members in the whole of the MCU.
Benedict Cumberbatch has recently denied the existence of The Illuminati, but if the rumors are true, and the latest Doctor Strange 2 trailer to be trusted, these are the reported members of The Illuminati in the MCU: Professor X (played by Patrick Stewart, who has confirmed his involvement in the movie), a Tony Stark Variant (possibly played by Tom Cruise), Mister Fantastic, and Doctor Strange himself.
Will the Illuminati Get Their Own Movie?
The MCu has brought a number of gems to the silver screen from Avengers: Endgame to the insanely unique WandaVision. With a broad spectrum of characters and storylines to explore, it would seem that the possibilities are endless for the MCU. Many feel there is great potential for the Illuminati to spawn a film of their very own. In the Superbowl trailer for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which is to be released May 2022, we see Stephen Strange getting arrested and taken among a group of mysterious characters. Many have speculated that these characters are in fact the Illuminati, suggesting that the Illuminati are the main antagonists of the film. While some would say this is mere speculation, it is a very plausible theory. That being said, some have also wondered if the people at Marvel have already begun production for a potential stand-alone Illuminati film in Phase 4.
