Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is already providing a bit of… well, madness, amongst fans, as many are speculating about the surprises the movie might hold. The biggest point of debate right now seems to revolve around the alleged inclusion of Patrick Stewart’s Professor X. Of course, Marvel Studios has not confirmed the casting, and Stewart himself has dodged questions while admitting his confusion over the development. Now, one of the film’s producers has weighed in on the rumors, and he provided the perfect response..
The speculation began when the movie’s crazy second trailer dropped on Super Bowl Sunday. Within the awesome footage, there’s a scene that shows Benedict Cumberbatch’s Stephen Strange going before a council of some kind. It’s at this moment that viewers see what appears to be a person with a bald head moving forward, while the accompanying voice says, “We should tell him the truth.” The character speaking honestly did sound like Patrick Stewart and, with the Illuminati rumors, his inclusion would make sense. However, producer Richie Palmer expertly used a classic quote to caution fans to take a step back first:
I’ll quote the first X-Men movie and say, ‘Are you sure you saw what you saw?’ There are infinite versions of these characters, and just because you may have heard something familiar doesn’t mean it’s someone you have seen before.
Fans may remember that that particular line was cryptically uttered by Ian McKellan’s Magneto in 2000’s X-Men. The powerful villain posed the question after Storm and Jean Grey declare that Senator Kelly (who was transformed into a mutant) had died. It’s a clever nod to what’s come before, but it also serves as a fair warning. As Richie Palmer mentioned, variants are now at play within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. So that could in fact be Charles Xavier fans saw, but it may not be the big-screen version we’ve come to know. Still, because that actor’s pipes sound like Patrick Stewart’s, I’m betting that it is indeed the iconic actor joining the alleged Illuminati.
Speaking of the shady secret society, Richie Palmer addressed those rumors as well. Many fans believe they are indeed the group Strange is meeting with in that Multiverse of Madness scene. Additionally, some reports claim that the roster will include Ioan Gruffudd’s Mr. Fantastic, a variant of Tony Stark played by Tom Cruise and others. During the same interview with Empire, Palmer provided fairly diplomatic thoughts:
I would love to see Tony again, but some rumors are just rumors. I will say that I love the Illuminati. But if we ever introduce the Illuminati in the future, it might be more MCU-driven and have some more ties to our characters in the MCU, versus just replicating what’s in the comics.
Linking a potential big-screen Illuminati more closely to the MCU would make a lot of sense and fall in line with the creative approach Marvel Studios has utilized over the years. Though the company does directly adapt certain elements from the comics, it also alters things so that they fit better into the cinematic canon. This may be far from a confirmation, but the comments could indicate that the studio has at least considered how it could approach the fan-favorite group.
We have a little less than two months before the Doctor Strange sequel finally hits theaters, and it’s very likely there won’t be any confirmation on Professor X or the Illuminati before that. The gears of speculation will surely keep on churning in the meantime, with fans continuously watching that one scene from the trailer. And as they do, they’ll surely be wondering the same thing Magneto did in that first X-Men film, “Why not come out where I can see you, Charles?”
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness opens on May 6 and, ahead of its release, you can stream its 2016 predecessor as well as other Marvel movies with a Disney+ subscription. Keep your eye on other new movie releases for 2022 as well.
