The Illuminati Are Reportedly Returning in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ with a New Twist

One of the most thrilling aspects of ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ is set to return in ‘Avengers: Doomsday,’ but this time with a significant twist that alters the entire concept.

According to Cosmic Marvel, citing insider Alex Perez from Cosmic Circus, a version of the Illuminati will feature in the upcoming MCU event film, although the group will not be referred to by that name.

Perez confirmed this detail during a Patreon and Discord Q&A session, explaining that the film presents a form of what he calls Illuminati 2.0, while clarifying that the group does not self-identify with that title. This distinction is important, as it implies that this coalition is assembled for a similar purpose but is not a direct continuation of the Earth-838 version fans encountered in 2022.

In Marvel Comics, the Illuminati famously united the brightest and most powerful figures in the hero community, including Iron Man, Reed Richards, Doctor Strange, Black Bolt, Professor X, and Namor, to make tough decisions about existential threats behind closed doors.

Jonathan Hickman later revived this concept in his New Avengers run, where the group reformed specifically to tackle the threat of Incursions, where universes collide with Earth at the center of each collision. This storyline is widely regarded as the primary source material for ‘Doomsday.’

Earlier Q&A sessions from Perez had hinted at this development, with him previously discussing a concept involving some of the most brilliant minds from across the multiverse coming together to prevent incursions. This mirrors the Illuminati lineup from the comics but features characters from different universes with expertise in multiverse studies. Names mentioned at that time included the main MCU’s Stephen Strange and Pedro Pascal’s Reed Richards from ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps.’

The film is expected to encompass at least six distinct universes, including the main MCU, the Fantastic Four universe, the X-Men universe, Doom’s original universe, Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man universe, and a hidden pocket dimension. Creating a multiversal brain trust from these worlds to address the Incursion crisis aligns closely with the comics version of the Illuminati’s mission, without necessitating Marvel to use the name itself, potentially to steer clear of direct comparisons to the Earth-838 group that was quickly eliminated.

‘Avengers: Doomsday’ is directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, with a screenplay by Michael Waldron and Stephen McFeely. The film boasts an ensemble cast led by Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom, with confirmed returns from Chris Evans, the Fantastic Four cast, and X-Men actors from various eras of the franchise. It is slated for release on December 18, followed by its sequel ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ on December 17 the following year.

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