Phase 4's multiverse mess proves why Doctor Strange needs the Illuminati in the Illuminati superhero team are coming to the MCU in the near future, primarily based on how Phase 4 is unfolding.
Marvel Studios is not rushing to introduce the next Avengers roster for the next wave of movies and Disney+ shows after Avengers: Endgame. Instead, the studio is laying the groundwork for multiple different superhero (and supervillain) teams to form. Almost every MCU Phase 4 project to date has helped set up the Young Avengers by introducing some of its team . At the same time, it is quite clear the Dark Avengers or Thunderbolts are forming under Contessa Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine. There is also the chance that teams like the Champions, Ultimates, Defenders, Midnight Sons, MI-13, and others are coming based on which characters and stories Phase 4 is tackling.
Marvel's Illuminati team fit into the latter category, where Phase 4 hasn't directly set them up to this point, but the foundation for their formation is there. That said, the MCU has been Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. His dealings with the multiverse perfectly set up why the MCU's Illuminati are needed in Phase 4.
Are The Illuminati Coming To The MCU?
Marvel's Illuminati team was created by Brian Michael Bendis and Steve McNiven in 2005. Their first appearance came alongside the Avengers reforming, but the comics retroactively made them part of the universe since the Kree-Skrull War. After the widespread war, some of Marvel's biggest heroes ed forces to try and protect the future. The original Illuminati team roster saw Iron Man, Doctor Strange, Black Bolt, Reed Richards, Professor X, and Namor share information and ideas in the hope of neutralizing such threats before they could happen. Their positions were selected based on each hero's different ties to Marvel's most prominent superhero communities: Avengers, Masters of the Mystic Arts, Inhumans, Fantastic Four, X-Men, and Atlantis.
The Illuminati have played a role in inciting some of Marvel's biggest events in the time since their formation. Their attempt to prevent another Kree-Skrull War directly led to the Skrulls hatching a plan to take over Earth, which played out during World War Hulk, which the MCU might adapt. They also each possessed and hid an Infinity Stone for some time to try and keep them out of the wrong hands. The Illuminati's team has evolved throughout those events, as Beast, Black Panther, Captain America, Captain Britain, Medusa, and others ed.
After Avengers: Endgame, there have been persistent rumors that Phase 4 is where the MCU's Illuminati team will form. This potentially might include them uniting for a solo movie or Disney+ show. Marvel Studios has yet to confirm that the team is assembling in Phase 4, but it would make sense for the Illuminati to begin overseeing the MCU at large now. It would come with a different roster based on who is currently introduced or expected to debut soon. Doctor Strange, Namor, and Reed Richards should be close to locks when it comes to being part of the Illuminati team, while Captain Marvel, Rocket, and Hulk are some known heroes who could participate. It is unclear if Black Bolt or Professor X will be part of the initial roster, but they could the Illuminati in the future once they are introduced.
Why The Avengers Need A Higher Power
If the Illuminati serve a similar role in the MCU as they did in the comics, this team could be responsible for giving the Avengers a higher power that they desperately need. Earth's Mightiest Heroes have saved the planet and universe several times, but they haven't always gone about it the right way or had the correct personalities involved to make the callous decisions. Captain America: Civil War is where the MCU introduced the idea of the Avengers needing oversight. Secretary Thunderbolt Ross used the casualties and destruction caused by the Avengers' superhero activities as evidence for their misguided ways. While he went about giving the MCU heroes a higher power the wrong way, his overall idea that the Avengers need someone above them and somewhat orchestrating their actions wasn't totally wrong.
The MCU's Illuminati team, if it had already existed, surely would've interfered with various moments in the past. However, since they weren't around, significant decisions were usually left for one character to make. Iron Man didn't really consult anyone when it came to creating Ultron, and Tony Stark also didn't prep his fellow Avengers for the Sokovia Accords. Meanwhile, Doctor Strange decided to try to Avengers: Infinity War.
Phase 4's Multiverse Mess Is The Perfect Illuminati Set-Up
While the Illuminati could've saved the MCU a world of trouble by preventively stopping Thanos, the MCU ultimately didn't introduce the team before then. Avengers: Endgame may have included a prototype of the Illuminati through Black Widow's Avengers team, which similarly united heroes from different parts of the superhuman spectrum. Of course, that also came when half of its potential candidates were out of the picture. Now that the MCU is moving forward in Phase 4, its multiverse mess could be the perfect setup for their proper formation.
The multiverse started to become a problem in Avengers: Endgame, with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness trailer. This surely means the multiverse will become even more unruly and complicated. For that reason, a supremely powerful council like the Illuminati is needed in Phase 4, as they can collectively try and keep the multiverse from becoming messier.
Doctor Strange should know better than most that ability and oversight are needed for everyone at this stage. He already did something the Illuminati would do by orchestrating Infinity War and Endgame's events to conclude with Thanos' defeat and Iron Man's death. However, Spider-Man: No Way Home was a nice reminder that he doesn't know all, and whatever happens in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness should hammer home that realization. Doctor Strange forming the Illuminati as a result of his Phase 4 experiences would make sense and give the MCU a powerful group to prevent similar disasters from occurring in the future.
