Captain America: Brave New World’s Illuminati Hint Fails to Meet Expectations

Overview

The post-credit scene of Captain America: Brave New World offers a tantalizing glimpse at the potential emergence of the Illuminati and Doctor Doom.
With the Illuminati absent from the film’s main narrative, fans are left pondering their future role within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
Despite initial foreshadowing, the MCU may pivot away from the Illuminati storyline, focusing instead on sweeping narratives such as Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars.

The conversation surrounding Captain America: Brave New World remains heated as the Marvel Cinematic Universe approaches the conclusion of its controversial Phase 5. Critics have labeled Julius Onah’s film as non-essential to the MCU narrative, with many fans eager for a traditional Avengers film to cap off this segment. Instead, attention shifts toward the imminent multiversal confrontations anticipated in Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars. While Captain America: Brave New World lays some groundwork for these upcoming events, viewers largely regard it as less vital viewing for MCU enthusiasts.

Since the aftermath of Avengers: Endgame, there hasn’t been a central Avengers film. Harrison Ford’s Thaddeus “Thunderbolt”Ross serves as a reminder that Earth’s Mightiest Heroes are currently sidelined, which likely explains the context of the upcoming Thunderbolts film, as it grapples with the implications of the Avengers’ absence. However, Brave New World appears to take a different path, utilizing its post-credit scene to hint at an unexpected team yet to take center stage.

Hints of the Illuminati in Brave New World

Doctor Strange confronting the Illuminati in Multiverse of Madness

The MCU has popularized the concept of post-credit scenes since Nick Fury’s debut in 2008’s Iron Man, yet Brave New World faced critique for its lackluster ending. The post-credit scene, where Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) visits imprisoned Samuel Sterns (Tim Blake Nelson) and alludes to ‘others’, has sparked varied interpretations. Speculation abounds regarding Sterns having uncovered connections to Doctor Doom or even the Fantastic Four’s possible emergence in the MCU.

Director Julius Onah revealed in an interview with The Wrap that the Illuminati was featured in earlier drafts of the film, but omitted details on the specific characters:

“I’m not going to say! I’m not going to say (laughs).Let’s just say things are purposely left vague in that post-credit for a reason.”

Rather than establishing Doctor Doom’s influence, Onah indicated that the post-credit scene serves as a nostalgic reference to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, where an Illuminati assembly appeared, featuring figures like Captain Carter and Mister Fantastic, albeit in a different incarnation.

Understanding the Illuminati in Marvel Comics

The Illuminati first made its mark in the comics in 2005’s New Avengers #7, emerging as a collective of superpowered intellects after the Kree-Skrull War. This secretive group steered clear of global superhero organizations to safeguard against outside threats, meeting frequently to exchange crucial information. Notably, the Illuminati has played a significant role during pivotal Marvel events such as World War Hulk and Secret Wars, paralleling storylines introduced in the MCU.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness suggested that some characters from previous films could return, but with a shifting lineup, as Reed Richards (Mister Fantastic) is rumored to have a new portrayal, while the illustrated team may also include members like Namor or Black Panther, adding layers of complexity to reimagined narratives.

Various characters, such as Beast and Captain Britain, have been included in the comics’ Illuminati roster. The possibility of Chris Evans reprising his role as Steve Rogers raises the stakes for the potential resurgence of the Illuminati in future Avengers narratives. If the Illuminati does re-emerge, this could also provide context for a potential villainous variant of Doctor Doom reminiscent of Tony Stark, suggesting the group may not inherently be antagonistic but rather complex figures navigating the Multiverse’s challenges.

However, the Illuminati’s non-appearance in Brave New World and Onah’s lack of franchise oversight as a director leads to uncertainty about their role moving forward. Some fans theorize that the ambiguous ‘others’ mentioned by Sterns could relate to different plotlines, echoing the ongoing Multiverse theme prevalent in series like Loki and upcoming films. The MCU’s history of sidelining plot threads means that the Illuminati setup may remain dormant, overshadowed by the richer stories set to unfold in Doomsday and Secret Wars.

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