This article contains spoilers for Doctor Strange and The Multiverse Of Madness
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness incorporated one of Marvel Comics' most clandestine superhero groups, the council of the Illuminati, into its story. In the film, Doctor Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) encounters this governing body on the parallel universe of Earth-838, only for each of its members to be gruesomely killed off by the Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen).
While the initial lineup of the Illuminati is down for the count, the end of the film sees Doctor Strange return to his own home reality. Now that he comprehends the dangers of monumental power, Strange may feel inspired to bring together his own Illuminati lineup on Earth-616 and may have a few ideas as to who should comprise the council.
Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange is a Master of the Mystic Arts and one of the most powerful sorcerers in existence, whose recent exploits throughout the multiverse have granted him unprecedented knowledge (including an interaction with another world's council of the Illuminati). This may influence the sorcerer to build his own version of this council using heroes from his own homeworld.
Doctor Strange, after meeting various versions of himself throughout the multiverse, certainly has the most experience out of all of Earth-616's Avengers regarding alternate universes, making him not only the perfect person to form this council. He is also the ideal candidate to act as its chief chairman. As a prominent member of the Illuminati in Marvel Comics, Strange's presence on this council seems inevitable.
Shuri
Letitia Wright's Shuri was a breakout star in Black Panther upon its release in early 2018. T'Challa's younger sister is the brains behind many of Wakanda's most impressive technological achievements and has long been rumored by fans to be her brother's replacement as Black Panther after Chadwick Boseman's tragic passing in 2020. The character is slated to make her next appearance this Fall in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, where answers regarding who will become the next Black Panther will finally be answered.
Wakanda is fairly represented in any lineup of the Illuminati in Marvel Comics, with T'Challa often serving as a member of the council. Given the fact that the MCU seems unlikely to recast Boseman's role, it would make sense for whoever takes up the mantle of Black Panther could also act as T'Challa's surrogate in the Illuminati, representing their home country of Wakanda. The most likely candidate for this role is Shuri, who would naturally be the next in line for the throne, and therefore, the title of Black Panther.
Sersi
Sersi (Gemma Chan) is the leading member of the Eternals, a team of superheroes that is engrained in the mythology of ancient religions. With the power of transmutation, she is one of the most powerful members of her clan, even proving strong enough to halt the emergence of a Celestial. While Sersi's future is uncertain, with her last seen as the captive of the Celestial Arishem, it would seem that the MCU has major plans for the character in future films, (though the specifics of which remain to be seen).
The comic version of the Illuminati is often designed to represent the key factions of Earth's population, with subsections like Mutants, Inhumans, and humans almost always included. If the Eternals are to have continued relevance in the goings-on of Earth, they may also wish to be represented in the clandestine governing body, making Sersi a likely pick to join the group, as the Eternals' leader.
Reed Richards
Multiverse of Madness made history by becoming the first film in the MCU to include the iconic comic character, Reed Richards. The film went even further by bringing to life the fan-favorite casting decision of John Krasinski as Mister Fantastic on Earth-838, where he serves as a member of the Illuminati, which Strange encounters during his travels.
Reed Richards is a founding member of the Illuminati in the comics, and one of its most vocal members. With the character set to become a major player in the MCU in the near future, it would make perfect sense for him to appear as a member of this council, especially since Strange has already come to associate his name with the Illuminati's existence.
Namor
Namor the Sub-Mariner is the king of Atlantis and a powerful mutant who has not yet been introduced in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While there remains no news on the character's arrival to the franchise, many fans have theorized that he could be introduced in the forthcoming Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, perhaps even as the primary antagonist of the film. Some have gone so far as to suggest that Tenoch Huerta will be the actor to bring this iconic comic character to life for the MCU (via Empire).
Namor is often a member of the Illuminati in the comics, serving as the representative of the Atlanteans. The character often acts independently of the group, however, making him a difficult personality to deal with for the Illuminati's other members. If Namor is allowed to join the group, fans should expect him to show some measure of discord among its ranks.
Thor
Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is one of the most powerful characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, whose superhero career has stretched to centuries (long before the other Avengers were even born). The God Of Thunder is slated to make his next appearance in July, where he will battle Christian Bale's Gorr the God Butcher. Thor will be joined by friends both new and old in this adventure, which will be the MCU's next film installment.
Though Asgardians have typically not been a race represented in the Illuminati given their extraterrestrial origins, the MCU has gone out of its way to bring the people of Asgard to Earth, where they have settled somewhere on the coast of Norway. With his people now native to Earth, it would be a disservice to leave Thor out of the Illuminati's lineup, and, with the character's search for wisdom leading him on a journey of self-discovery, he may just prove to be one of the more useful members of the team.
Professor X
Sir Patrick Stewart's Professor Charles Xavier was the subject of plenty of fan theories when it was revealed that the actor would be reprising his iconic role in Multiverse of Madness. The character of Professor X is inherently associated with the X-Men and mutantkind, which are an imminent addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (though Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios have been notoriously tight-lipped about how and when Xavier and his X-Men will make their debut).
When the mutants do finally arrive in Earth-616, there is no doubt that they will have a delegate amidst the Illuminati, with the obvious choice being Charles himself. The character is a founding member of the Illuminati in Marvel Comics, whose wise ways and courage prove him capable of making the difficult decisions that the council is often faced with. Should the Illuminati really be in the future of the MCU, there is no lineup of the team that could feasibly exist without the membership of Charles Xavier.