Marvel Studios‘ latest, strangest superhero makes his big screen debut in just over two weeks and it’s looking like Benedict Cumberbatch‘s Doctor Strange is prepped to become a major player in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. At today’s press conference for the film, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige was asked whether the comics’ Illuminati, of which Strange is a key member, might play a role in future films.
“What’s fun about the Illuminati,” Feige responded, “is seeing certain characters interact with certain other characters. I don’t know about that particular storyline, but some of those characters we’ll be seeing together onscreen in the next ‘Avengers.’”
The Illuminati debuted in Brian Michael Bendis and Steve McNiven’s “New Avengers” #7 in 2005. A secret society consisting of some of the most powerful Marvel characters, the original Illuminati lineup included Dr. Strange, Iron Man, Namor, the Fantastic Four’s Mr. Fantastic, the X-Men’s Professor Charles Xavier and Black Bolt of the Inhumans. Black Panther was also offered a slot when the group initially formed, but he declined, believing that such a group should not exist.
“We’re taking it one step at a time,” Feige says of Cumberbatch’s next MCU production. “Benedict puts on the cloak once again early next year in ‘Infinity War.’”
While it’s a pretty safe bet that we’re going to see Stark and Strange together in 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War, Feige’s comments do make one wonder whether or not any of the other Illuminati members could be introduced as well. Xavier and Mr. Fantastic are the most unlikely as both X-Men and Fantastic Four are set up at 20th Century Fox, but Marvel previously had plans to develop an Inhumans movie to launch their “Phase Four.”
Doctor Strange also stars Benedict Wong, Rachel McAdams, Michael Stuhlbarg, Scott Adkins, and Amy Landecker. The film is directed by Scott Derrickson (The Exorcism of Emily Rose, Deliver Us From Evil) from a script by Jon Spaihts (Prometheus, Passengers) and C. Robert Cargill (Sinister).
