The Illuminati In MCU Explained - What To Expect!

Everything you need to know about how the Illuminati will fit into the MCU.

By Andrew Pollard /

As per usual, this year's Super Bowl spotlighted a handful of major new trailers pertaining to some of the most hotly anticipated movie releases of the year. And one such film that found itself showcased on Super Bowl Sunday, was Sam Raimi's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

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The next entry in Phase Four of the MCU, this outing for Benedict Cumberbatch's Master of the Mystic Arts gave fans a bunch of new footage ahead of the sequel's 6 May release date. In a trailer bursting with attention-grabbing moments, likely the biggest take-home here was that the Illuminati seem to be making their way to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

For those only familiar with the heroes and villains of Marvel Comics due to the action and adventures of the MCU, you're likely questioning who or what the Illuminati is. If so, that's where we've got you covered.

Here, not only will we get you up to speed on the comic book Illuminati group, but we'll also take a look at how the Illuminati may fit into the Multiverse of Madness and beyond.

10. The Comic Book Roots

Like so many things seen in the MCU to date, the Illuminati has its roots within the pages of Marvel Comics.

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While a group such as the Avengers have been around since 1963 in the comic book world, the Illuminati is a more recent creation. To be precise, it would be July 2005's New Avengers #7 where the team first loosely came together.

Created by Brian Michael Bendis and Steve McNiven, the Illuminati joined forces in the aftermath of the Kree-Skrull War which caused such chaos and carnage on Earth. Realising that this war could have been prevented, certain heroes get together to propose what is essentially a secret United Nations-type organisation designed to help stop such threats from rearing their head in the future.

The initial meeting of the Illuminati takes place in Wakanda, with Black Panther present to represent that nation, Namor present to represent Atlantis, Black Bolt present to represent the Inhumans, Iron Man present to represent the Avengers, Professor X present to represent mutankind, Mister Fantastic present to represent the Fantastic Four, and Doctor Strange in attendance due to his role as the all-powerful Sorcerer Supreme.

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