The Illuminati HQ in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness teased three more Marvel heroes thanks to some prominent statues. Although the majority of the movie takes place in the main Marvel Cinematic Universe timeline, a prominent section of the movie happens on Earth-838. Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) travel to this futuristic world and learn just how different it is from Earth-616 once they are imprisoned by The Illuminati–this world's stronger version of the Avengers.
The Illuminati world in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness represents a very different reality from what the MCU has. The team includes Professor X (Patrick Stewart), Mister Fantastic (John Krasinski), Black Bolt (Anson Mount), Captain Carter (Hayley Atwell), Captain Marvel (Lashana Lynch), and Sorcerer Supreme Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor). These members alone show just how different the universe is, as the X-Men, Fantastic Four, and Inhumans are prominent fixtures. The all-powerful superteam previously included a version of Doctor Strange, but he was corrupted by the Darkhold. The Illuminati ultimately killed him after they defeated Thanos and stopped The Snap from happening in this timeline, further showing the differences between Earth-838 and Earth-616.
Although the Illuminati team is only in Doctor Strange 2 for a short time before Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) kills them all, the movie still gives viewers more teases about their status, past, and accomplishments. There are good Ultron bots that indicate that Avengers: Age of Ultron never happened, while the Illuminati are primarily focused on protecting the multiverse. Of course, not everything the Illuminati does is for the public to know. They lied about Doctor Strange's death and covered it up by putting a heroic statue of him in front of the Sanctum Sanctorum. This is all the more noteworthy when considering the presence of three mysterious statues in Illuminati HQ that could represent additional Marvel heroes with ties to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' Illuminati team. Since these statues are primarily featured in the background, the MCU movie does not provide any details about who they are for. However, their placement inside Illuminati HQ indicates that these are no ordinary people. The most likely explanation is that these are other Marvel heroes in statue form, possibly due to their own connection to Earth-838's Illuminati. Doctor Strange 2's statues show one possible male hero with wings, another male with a sword, and a warrior female. Here are some possibilities for which Marvel heroes these statues could be for.
Who The Illuminati's Winged Hero Statue Could Be
The Illuminati's winged hero statue shows a man wearing nothing but a loincloth. He's knelt down on one knee with his head bowed, and his winged arms point directly to the sky. It also appears that the mystery Marvel hero has armbands from his wrists to forearms. This appearance is not a direct match for any Marvel hero, meaning Doctor Strange 2's winged Illuminati statue hero could be a reimagined version of several characters. Some of the possibilities for who the Illuminati's winged hero statue in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is for include Darkhawk, Archangel, and Falcon.
MCU fans are already familiar with Falcon, as Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson is now Captain America in the main timeline. He's the most prominent winged hero the MCU has, so it is possible a different version of Falcon existed in Earth-838 and served the Illuminati. The team also could have been a place for Christopher Powell to use the Darkhawk armor. It is even possible the Darkhawk amulet is what is bulging from the statue's stomach. Archangel might fit with Doctor Strange 2's Illuminati lore the best, though. Since Professor X's presence confirms mutants exist, Warren Worthington could have helped the team before. Regardless of which one of these possible Marvel heroes is the identity of the Illuminati's winged hero, it does not appear that they are around in Earth-838 any longer.
Who The Illuminati's Sword Hero Statue Could Be
For Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' sword hero statue in Illuminati HQ, there are even fewer potential clues about his identity. The only real identifier for this possible Phase 4 Marvel hero is the sword he has. The circle the statue sits in does not appear to have any significance. It is possible that he is wearing a helmet or is bald based on how smooth the top of his head appears to be. In fairness, there are plenty of Marvel swordsmen in the comics who could possibly be a match for this Doctor Strange 2 hero statue. The most likely possibilities for who this Illuminati statue represents are arguably Black Knight, Captain Britain, and Balder the Brave.
The MCU only recently introduced Black Knight to audiences, as Kit Harington's Dane Whitman in Eternals is meant to become the legendary warrior. The Illuminati sword hero statue could be meant to represent a version of Dane Whitman, who is already very familiar with the Ebony Blade. Then again, the statue could be for one of Dane's ancient relatives, such as one of the first people to ever wield the powerful sword and become known as the Black Knight. It is also conceivable that Captain Britain had a history with the Illuminati. Brian Braddock could be represented here using Excalibur. Perhaps he even was the precursor to Captain Carter in Earth-838. Doctor Strange 2 rumors also suggest Thor's half-brother and skilled swordsman Balder the Brave was going to appear at one point. When his cameo was scrapped, Marvel may have created the Illuminati's sword hero statue to still honor him.
Who The Illuminati's Female Hero Statue Could Be
The Illuminati statue that receives the biggest role is of the mysterious female hero. Scarlet Witch kills Captain Marvel by dropping the statue on top of her. It is also a tricky one to identify as a possible Marvel hero. Director Sam Raimi has said that the statue is modeled after Lucy Lawless' Xena, as Raimi was a producer on Xena: Warrior Princess. This becomes quite clear through the female hero statue's design and ancient warrior armor. But unless Xena is a hero in Earth-838, having her be represented in this fashion inside the Illuminati HQ does not quite work. Instead, the female Marvel hero represented here could be Power Princess or Warrior Woman.
Based on the appearance alone of the statue, Power Princess makes the most sense to be the Illuminati's female hero statue. Zarda Shelton is a member of the Squadron Supreme and is effectively Marvel's version of Wonder Woman in the comics. It is possible that Power Princess existed in Earth-838 and previously helped the Illuminati in some fashion. The statue could also be a fit for Hippolyta/Warrior Woman, a powerful Amazon warrior who is actually Wonder Woman's mother in DC. That connection might not exist in the MCU, but Hippolyta could connect the Illuminati to the Olympians. Even if Xena was Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' intention, Power Princess and Warrior Woman work very well with the statue's design too.
