Before we get into the dual MCU debuts of the iconic leaders of the Fantastic Four and the X-Men during Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, let’s just get this out of the way: The future of the two franchises remains as much of a mystery as ever.
Ever since news broke in 2017 about Disney finalizing a deal to acquire 21st Century Fox, fans have eagerly awaited the arrival of the Fantastic Four and the X-Men in the MCU—or, for that matter, any indication of how the beloved characters from both franchises might join the ranks of the Avengers (or what’s left of them) and the Guardians of the Galaxy. Using the multiverse as a bridge between worlds and realities, Multiverse of Madness provides the grand reintroductions of Reed Richards and Professor Charles Xavier—but both are brutally killed by the Scarlet Witch about as quickly as they’re introduced. As such, the wait continues.
The Doctor Strange sequel had long been speculated to be a watershed moment for the MCU that would signal Marvel Studios’ direction following the conclusion of the Infinity Saga. Trailers fueled the hype train even more, as early looks at Professor X and the Illuminati teased not only the introduction of the X-Men, but also Captain Carter (from the animated anthology series What If…?) and the promise of even more, given that the secretive supergroup from the comics features Richards and the leaders of the Inhumans and Atlantis, respectively, Black Bolt and Namor.
In Multiverse of Madness, Doctor Strange meets the Illuminati in the alternate universe of Earth-838, where he finds the group to be an equivalent of the Avengers, down to the fact that they, too, had to fight against the colossal threat of Thanos. (This discovery also sets up the canonical designation of the MCU’s main world as Earth-616, as it is in the comics.) The film’s version of the Illuminati features: Professor X (Patrick Stewart), Mr. Fantastic (John Krasinski), Black Bolt (Anson Mount), Captain Carter (Hayley Atwell), Captain Marvel (Lashana Lynch), and this universe’s Sorcerer Supreme, Baron Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor). It’s something of a cosmic gumbo of characters and actors from across Marvel’s multiverse of properties, including Fox’s X-Men movies and even ABC’s short-lived Inhumans series, with Krasinski serving as the only true newcomer to the sprawling House that Stan Lee Built.
As it turns out, though, the Illuminati—or at least this particular iteration of it—isn’t here to stay. The group puts Strange on trial for the crimes that his alternate self committed, revealing that Strange-838’s arrogance caused the deaths of billions and the annihilation of another universe. But not long after the overconfident cadre assures Strange that it can handle the “little witch” chasing him and his multiverse-jumping companion America Chavez, Wanda Maximoff shows up and slaughters just about everyone. She uses her Chaos Magic to remove Black Bolt’s mouth, causing his booming voice to blow out his brains; shreds Mr. Fantastic apart like paper and pops his skull; cuts Captain Carter in half with her own shield; collapses a massive statue onto Captain Marvel; and enters Professor X’s mind to snap his neck. Mordo was lucky enough to be babysitting Strange when the carnage occurs, but the Scarlet Witch destroys nearly all of Earth-838’s Mightiest Heroes while barely breaking a sweat.
The extended Illuminati sequence is shocking and surprisingly violent for a PG-13 MCU project—even if it doesn’t go quite as far as, say, Amazon Prime’s animated superhero series Invincible, which features a similar dismemberment of its Avengers-style superhero group in its series premiere. The swift destruction of the Illuminati is a wild and frankly hilarious troll to upend Marvel fans’ expectations, as well as an opportunity for director Sam Raimi to really lean into the uniquely grotesque style he introduced with his iconic Evil Dead…
Read More: ‘Multiverse of Madness’ teases the Fantastic Four and the X-Men