The Illuminati In MCU Explained - What To Expect!

4. How 'Dead' Heroes Could Be Included

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Illuminati
Marvel Comics/Disney

For those wondering, Superior Iron Man is an alternative, evil version of Tony Stark.

When the Axis storyline switched the leanings of Marvel Comics' heroes and villains - the good becoming bad, the bad becoming good - the sinister Stark managed to remain villainous after outsmarting a spell that reverted personalities back to normal.

This Superior Iron Man was cruel, clinical, calculated and even went as far as releasing an Extremis 3.0 virus into the world via a mobile app.

From this new Multiverse of Madness footage, some are speculating that the glowing, flying figure briefly glimpsed is actual that of an alt-world Tony Stark. And not just any alt-world Tony Stark, mind, but a variant of Stark who is the nefarious Superior Iron Man.

Another hero some claim to see in this new trailer is the silhouette of Black Panther. Given how Chadwick Boseman tragically passed away in 2020 at the age of just 43, this November's Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will look to honour Boseman's T'Challa in a way that won't see the role recast, won't see CGI used to replicate the actor's likeness, and will instead focus on the world, culture and other characters of Wakanda.

With the concept of the multiverse, though - as seen in Spider-Man: No Way Home - another world's Black Panther doesn't have to be played by Chadwick Boseman. So, if Marvel Studios really want the King of Wakanda back on screen, the multiverse would allow them to do just that in the Doctor Strange sequel.

Senior Writer
Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main dayjob, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks, Jamie Hayer, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg.