The original Illuminati roster is assembled in the MCU in a brand-new Marvel fan-art. Marvel Comics' founding Illuminati roster was composed of notable characters such as Iron Man, Black Panther, Black Bolt, Namor, Professor X, Mister Fantastic, and Doctor Strange. Each one represents a superhero sector that would make it easier to streamline big decisions that impact Earth. Marvel Studios slightly altered the line-up when it introduced Earth-868's version of the team in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, swapping some characters out that are either no longer in the MCU or haven't been introduced yet. The arrival of Namor, however, in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever gives fans an idea of what the franchise's Illuminati would have looked like if Marvel Studios stuck to it.

Courtesy of digital artist Art of Time Travel is a new piece of fan art that imagines the original Marvel Illuminati roster in the MCU. Aside from Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness' Professor X, Mister Fantastic, Black Bolt, and Doctor Strange, the team also adds Iron Man and Tenoch Huerta's Namor. Check out the illustration below:

Related: Why The MCU Killed Off The Illuminati So Quickly

Will The MCU Bring Back The Illuminati After Doctor Strange 2?

Doctor strange Multiverse Madness Illuminati Council

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' Illuminati wasn't from the Sacred Timeline, but from a reality that's different in many ways from the main MCU. Despite this, it was still shocking how quickly they were killed by Scarlet Witch in the Sam Raimi-directed movie. Before they could even establish themselves as powerful players, Wanda Maximoff went on a rampage and ended up killing all of them in brutal fashion. This leaves Earth-838 without its secret superhero team, and it's unclear what that means for its future, if Marvel Studios is even interested in exploring that moving forward.

The good thing is, the franchise can still bring back the Illuminati, but perhaps with a different roster. Since Doctor Strange's Illuminati team wasn't from the main timeline, their deaths don't really have any massive impact on the primary MCU continuity. Given this, Marvel can still easily introduce a different version of the team that is set to protect the Sacred Timeline. However, Kevin Feige and his team may have to once again alter the roster because, despite Namor's introduction, Iron Man remains dead, and it doesn't seem like there are any plans of bringing back Robert Downey Jr. to the MCU anytime soon.

In any case, there's really no rush to revisit the Illuminati in the MCU. Marvel Studios hasn't even finalized the casting for Mister Fantastic, and it's doubtful the franchise will bring back Patrick Stewart to play Professor X for the long haul. Given this, it may be awhile before the secret superhero squad is established in the Sacred Timeline. Perhaps they could only do it after the Multiverse Saga, once the X-Men, Fantastic Four, and even Inhumans are already established players in the universe.

More: Marvel Fatigue Proves Kevin Feige’s Phase 4 Approach Was Wrong

Source: Art of Time Travel

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