Could Michael Douglas have a major role in Doctor Strange 2? The sequel to Benedict Cumberbatch’s MCU film is getting a lot of attention now that the latest trailer shows just how ridiculous things are going to get. Wanda Maximoff’s character, multiple Strange’s existences, and the Illuminati reveal to have the internet dissecting trailers, toys, and posters.
The Multiversal Illuminati has been revealed to include Patrick Stewart as Professor Charles Xavier, assumedly reprising his X-Men role. The question is, besides Professor X, who else could be a part of this cabinet?
Six chairs were counted and a few hints were dropped to fill a few of the spaces. Historically, the Illuminati have been populated by super-smart academics and superhero team captains from the MCU. There’s a good chance that characters from previous MCU projects will show up in a new form.
Furthermore, the inclusion of one super-robot makes one mighty MCU intellectual more likely to join Professor X and others at the dinner table.
The Possibility of Hank Pym As A Member Of The Illuminati
In the Multiverse of Madness, the Illuminati could use a variety of Marvel characters from the comics and movies. However, when a well-known character is played by a high-level actor, it’s hard not to become a fan. There are a lot of boxes that Hank Pym ticks.
Marvel Comics’ version of Michael Douglas’ Hank Pym is the founder of the Avengers with elite-level powers, intellect, and storylines. His take on the MCU, on the other hand, is quite different.
As an older version of Ant-Man, Pym was introduced to the MCU as a “wink-and-nod” mentor with quite a backstory. There are a lot of Hank Pym stories and characteristics that have yet to be filmed. Until then, at least.
There is a glaring gap in the Hank Pym canon in the MCU regarding his involvement with the Avengers’ Ultron. In this universe, Ultron was given enough power to be the main villain of Avengers: Age of Ultron. Hank Pym is credited with inventing Ultron in the comics. Tony Stark and Bruce Banner were given the task of taking care of it.
What better way to bring Ultron and Hank Pym’s past to the big screen than to use one repulsor blast to take out two Ultron-bots? Hank Pym of the MCU Multiverse Illuminati has Ultron-bots protecting him.
In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Pym is well-known for his intellect. In any scene in which Michael Douglas appears, he adds a level of prestige. Another excellent strategy for raising eyebrows and cheers among comic book readers is the Ultron saga. There is no evidence in this trailer that Hank Pym is an Illuminati member in the MCU. However, he is certainly on the shortlist.
What We See Is Not What We Know
No one associated with this show has identified any members of the Illuminati. Based on trailer footage, Patrick Stewart’s Professor X is the only certainty. The only moving silhouette in the strange wide-shot of the council is Baron Mordo, who is as close to the lock as he can get given the time available in the trailer. A Maria Rambeau variant given the Captain Marvel treatment has won the Illuminati guessing contest’s screenshot of the year competition.
Stewart’s Professor X will be the team’s most anticipated reveal. Reed Richards and Namor the Submariner, two characters with comic book ties to this rumored team of super-intelligence, are two such examples. With Marvel Studios’ plan to feature multiple A-list characters as Multiversal Variants of their MCU counterparts, some water has been thrown on the flames.
Kang’s final form, three Spider-Men on screen at the same time, and vague revelations of Charlie Cox’s Daredevil and Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin have made it difficult to imagine more than one significant character being introduced this way in the same universe. Even more so in a film that already features three different versions of the protagonist.
The Expected Cameos
According to trailer appearances, Baron Mordo and Monica Rambeau are both heavy favorites (but we know how that goes). Hank Pym is also a strong contender because of the Ultron theory. As a result, aside from Stewart’s Professor X, the Multiverse of Madness team will be made up primarily of variants of MCU characters that fans are already familiar with, rather than introducing any new characters under these circumstances.
You can expect Captain Carter to be mentioned frequently along with Tom Hiddleston as Loki, who was previously speculated to be a part of this film. Amid so much mystery and high stakes, it is refreshing to encounter something significant to build anticipation for this film.