The Illuminati in Marvel: Who are the Marvel Illuminati members and how does it relate to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness?

The latest trailer for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness could reveal the introduction of a whole new organisation of superheroes in the MCU.

After the Super Bowl, a new trailer for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was dropped, revealing new characters and the return of familiar faces.

With hundreds of thousands of views in the first few hours after a sneak peek during the Super Bowl itself, the trailer has got fans’ minds churning with fresh theories of what to expect.

Perhaps most exciting of all was the off-screen voice of Patrick Stewart, already established in Marvel (but not MCU) canon as Professor Xavier from the X-Men franchise.

Not only could this signpost the entrance of the mutants to the MCU, it could also signify the introduction of a whole new group of people: Marvel’s Illuminati.

Here’s what you need to know about this secretive organisation.

What is the Illuminati in Marvel?

Although we don't see Sir Patrick Stewart's face in the trailer, his voice is instantly recognisable. Photo: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images.

The Illuminati were a secret group of the mightiest heroes from different existing superhero groups, such as the Avengers, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, and so on.

Originally formed by Tony Stark in the comics, the idea was to unite all the existing super teams into one unit for larger threats facing Earth.

Eventually, the Illuminati was reduced to a secret group that would share information and decide how all of the individual groups would correspond.

Interestingly, one of the last times that Iron Man called the group together in the comics was when a Skrull was found to be posing as the assassin Elektra.

The latest trailer for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness dropped during the Super Bowl. Photo: PA.

With Marvel TV show Secret Invasion just around the corner, perhaps the Illuminati will tie into that limited series.

Who are the Marvel Illuminati members?

The original members comprised of six men:

- Charles Xavier, founder of the X-Men

- Sorceror Supreme Doctor Strange

- Black Bolt, King of the Inhumans

- Reed Richards, founding member of the Fantastic Four

- Namor the Sub-Mariner, King of Atlantis

- Iron Man (Tony Stark), founding member of the Avengers and founder of the Illuminati

With Patrick Stewart’s voice in the Doctor Strange trailer, it seems that Professor X will indeed be entering the MCU.

There’s no evidence of Black Bolt, Reed Richards, or Namor just yet, but that doesn’t mean they couldn’t be introduced in time.

What’s more, Doctor Strange is not yet Sorceror Supreme, with the title falling to Wong during the Blip.

We might then see Strange ascend to the role in the upcoming film, followed by him taking his place among the Illuminati.

Finally, we come to Iron Man, played in the MCU by Robert Downey Jr, who of course died in Avengers: Endgame, sacrificing himself for the good of the universe.

However, with the multiverse coming into play, we could see an alternate version of Stark in the Illuminati.

Indeed, rumours are flying that Tom Cruise is favoured to play Iron Man, but that’s far from confirmed.

How does the Marvel Illuminati relate to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness?

In the trailer, we see Strange being marched into a white building, accompanied by Ultron-esque robots.

This is when we hear Patrick Stewart’s voice, saying “we should tell him the truth”.

Could the “we” here be the Illuminati? We’ll have to wait until May 6th to find out.