Doctor Strange 2 Concept Art Reveals Original Illuminati Strange Design
Doctor Strange 2 concept art reveals the original Illuminati Strange design from the MCU movie, starring Benedict Cumberbatch as the titular hero.
Concept art for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness reveals the original design for Illuminati Strange. Released in May 2022, the sequel to 2016’s Doctor Strange introduced many new universes thanks to newcomer America Chavez’s (Xochitl Gomez) multiverse-jumping powers. In one of the most intriguing universes visited by Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and America, referred to as Earth-838, a variant of Strange had served as part of the Illuminati, the most powerful team of superheroes to exist in that world until he was corrupted by the Darkhold and willingly executed.
Visual artist Ian Joyner Art posted concept art of Illuminati Strange’s epic original design via Instagram, offering a closer look at the character, who only appeared briefly in the film.
The newly released concept art provides a detailed depiction of Illuminati Strange’s ornate costume, which is primarily blue – similar to Strange’s comic book design but without his signature red cape. The artist states that the Illuminati Strange’s look was inspired in part by designs created for Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor), which utilized armor details combined with textiles.
Will The Illuminati Return In The MCU?
The Illuminati made up a small portion of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, defeated in short order by the Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) in her quest to obtain America’s power. However, the powerful team left a lasting impression on Marvel Cinematic Universe fans, many of whom were thrilled to see Patrick Stewart back as Professor X, Haley Atwell as Captain Carter, and John Krasinski as Reed Richards. Earth-838’s formidable superhero team also included Maria Rambeau’s (Lashana Lynch) Captain Marvel and Black Bolt (Anson Mount) in addition to Mordo.
Certain Illuminati members previously appeared in the animated series What If…?, which explores alternate versions of many MCU characters and eventually sees them team up. As such, it is possible that What If…? season 2, which is set to premiere this year, could bring back Captain Carter and several other Illuminati members, despite their deaths in the MCU’s timeline. In addition, it’s possible that there are Illuminati teams in other universes yet to be explored, which could be delved into during the MCU’s Multiverse Saga despite the deaths of those in Earth-838.
Doctor Strange’s Potential MCU Future Explained
The Doctor Strange sequel left the titular character’s future open for another installment, with the opening of his third eye and Clea’s arrival (Charlize Theron) setting things up for a potential third movie. While there is no release date on the docket, it’s possible that Doctor Strange 3 could become part of the MCU’s Phase 6 slate. A third movie will likely explore Strange and Clea’s journey to the Dark Dimension as they work to resolve the incursion that has taken hold of the sorceress’ home after Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness events.
Source: Ian Joyner Art/Instagram
