With the release of a new bigger multiversal event than Spider-Man: No Way Home. After all, the story will center on the most powerful Marvel sorcerer of all time and the most dangerous witch to ever exist.
Taking into the overwhelmingly positive reception to the return of Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, Willem Dafoe, and Alfred Molina in wide variety of multiversal Marvel characters could make an appearance. So, what better way to justify their introduction than to assemble them in a team like the Illuminati?
In Marvel Comics, the Illuminati is a secret team of extremely intelligent and highly influential superheroes who make decisions on world-saving matters. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' trailer tantalizingly offers the possibility of translating this team into live-action as a multiversal committee instead. Thanks to the trailer, at least one member of the team has been confirmed, but with the original lineup consisting of Iron Man, Black Panther, Black Bolt, Namor, Professor X, and Mister Fantastic, it is unlikely that all characters from one universe will unite in the MCU. Therefore, which other characters could possibly replace them? Here are the most likely possibilities.
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Defender Strange
Promotional material for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has confirmed the appearance of at least one more Doctor Strange variant besides the evil Strange Supreme shown in the first full trailer. Dubbed "Defender Strange", this variant sports a black-and-red suit and his hair in a ponytail. Which universe this Strange variant comes from and what his role in the movie will be remain a mystery, but his title of "Defender" possibly alludes to his status as a multiversal protector.
Marvel's original Defenders — Doctor Strange, Namor, and Hulk, with Silver Surfer and Valkyrie as recurring — initially took on cosmic threats while the Avengers focused on Earth-based battles. Since the incorporation of Charlie Cox's Daredevil and Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin into the MCU suggests Netflix's street-level Defenders have a chance to return, Defender Strange could instead lead his own team of heroes — this time as the leader of the Illuminati. It makes sense that other Doctor Strange variants across the multiverse are fighting to protect reality as much as Benedict Cumberbatch's prime Strange. Perhaps this variant received the Sorcerer Supreme title before Wong, giving him an extra five years' worth of experience where he might have assembled a team of multiversal guardians.
Baron Mordo
Chiwetel Ejiofor's Karl Mordo was last seen starting his quest to rid the world of sorcerers at the end of the first different MCU universes, Mordo could have put his mission on hold and ed forces with Defender Strange. However, there's also the possibility that the long-haired Mordo seen in the Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness trailer comes from a different universe — one where he vowed to protect his reality as Sorcerer Supreme.
Clea
Clea, the Dark Dimension sorceress who left Dormammu's realm in order to master the Mystic Arts with Doctor Strange in the comics, is yet to be referenced in the MCU. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is already too crowded to introduce a brand new character, but the appearance of the multiversal Illuminati could give Clea a chance to be introduced as a full-fledged sorceress who already escaped Dormammu's Dark Dimension without the need for Doctor Strange's help. What makes Clea a candidate for the MCU's Illuminati is the appearance of Rachel McAdams' Christine Palmer in the trailer, where she appears to don her own costume and travel through the multiverse alongside Doctor Strange and America Chavez. This Christine could be a multiversal variant who trained in the Mystic Arts and ed Defender Strange and Mordo in their mission to oversee and protect all realities from a distance.
Professor X
Arguably the biggest reveal from the newly-released Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness trailer was the inclusion of Patrick Stewart's Professor Charles Xavier, speaking the line "We should tell him the truth.". A founding member of the Illuminati in the comics, Professor X is a core member of the team and acts as the face of mutants when discussing worldly threats and issues. Now that Disney has the rights to Marvel's catalog of mutant characters from Fox's X-Men movie franchise, this marks the best chance yet to bring back iconic portrayals such as Patrick Stewart's Professor X. Stewart's appearance in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will make him an official part of the MCU after more than 20 years of playing the character.
Captain Carter
Captain Carter is another confirmed presence in the Doctor Strange sequel, though her inclusion is a more subtle reveal. On the poster for the movie, a shattered piece of glass can be seen with a reflection that shows Captain Carter's shield. As a potential member of the MCU's multiversal Illuminati, Captain Carter ticks every box. Hayley Atwell's performance is particularly popular across MCU fans, a multiversal variant of Peggy Carter was already introduced in Guardians of the Multiverse, as shown in the What If...? finale.
However, the return of Strange Supreme in the Doctor Strange sequel already puts the story of What If...">Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is certainly 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 a.k.a. Mr. Fantastic. As the leader of the Fantastic Four and one of the most intelligent characters in all of Marvel, his introduction as a multiversal guardian is fitting — not to mention that he's an ancestor of Nathaniel Richards a.k.a. Kang the Conqueror, who's expected to be a major MCU villain in Fantastic Four movie, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness could take the chance to bring back Ioan Gruffud's iteration of Reed Richards, thus uniting annexing known live-action universe to the MCU multiverse.
