What is the Illuminati in the Marvel universe, and could they return to the MCU?

The Marvel universe is full of fascinating factions. But, even in this jam-packed roster, one group stands out from the pack due to its legendary members and the impact it has had on the Marvel universe. This group, called the Illuminati, was first introduced to MCU fans during Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. But what is this group’s history and purpose, and could it return to the MCU in the future? 

What is the Illuminati?

Making their debut in New Avengers #7 in 2004, the Illuminati are a secret society consisting of Doctor Strange, Black Bolt, Charles Xavier, Reed Richards, Namor the Sub-Mariner, and Iron Man. The group’s history was told through the New Avengers: Illuminati series, which, via retcon, involved the group in some of Marvel’s most famous events. 

In the days after the war between the Kree and Skrull concluded, Iron Man gathers the others, realizing that each of them had information on the aliens that laid siege to Earth and that, if they had shared this information, the war could have been stopped. Stark proposes a United Nations-style council of superheroes, but this gets rejected by the others for various reasons. However, they come to an agreement to meet and share information often. Because of this, the group would operate from the shadows, secretly shaping the future of the Marvel universe and protecting it from beings and objects that may attempt to destroy it. 

One of the Illuminati’s first actions was to visit the Skrull homeworld, hoping that they could dissuade the Skrull from ever invading Earth. Alas, this plan backfired when the group was captured, forcing the group to mount a daring escape. But this setback didn’t slow the Illuminati down. They soon reconvened to help Reed Richards collect the Infinity Gems and Infinity Gauntlet as Reed hoped that he could wish the stones out of existence and thus render them no longer a threat. But, like the group’s previous exploits, this plan didn’t work, so they opted to split the gems between themselves for safekeeping. 

Following this, the group would meet to decide what to do with Hulk after his rampage, opting to shoot him into space after some heavy debate. However, the cracks within the group were starting to show, and Iron Man’s proposed Superhuman Registration Act made these cracks unfixable, causing the group to disband. But, this wasn’t the end for the group, as they were eventually reformed when The Hood tried to gather the Infinity Stones. Adding Captain America to their number, the group would distribute the stones among themselves once more. 

In 2010’s New Avengers, Black Panther, a hero who had been against the Illuminati’s initial founding, called the group back into service when he learned about the world being threatened by incursions. However, this would put into motion the group’s undoing. When Captain America refused to destroy the universe colliding with the Illuminati’s own, the group booted him out and wiped his memory. The return of these memories (Avengers #29, 2014) would lead to the Original Sin event, which saw Captain America go to war with the Illuminati. 

The group was last seen in 2015’s Secret Wars event, but several Illuminati members have been working together since, making it clear that when the time comes, the group will reform again. 

Could the Illuminati return to the MCU?

It seems likely that the Illuminati will return to the MCU one day, as in the Marvel universe, nothing ever truly stays dead. However, it seems likely that the Illuminati will return to the MCU sooner rather than later, as they play a massive role in some upcoming MCU events.

For instance, they are crucial to the Planet Hulk and World War Hulk storylines, the storyline that led to the debut of Skaar, Hulk’s son, a character who made a cameo at the end of season 1 of She-Hulk. It’s also likely that MCU fans will see the Illuminati again in the upcoming Secret Invasion mini-series. Their formation and visit to the Skrull homeworld are crucial to setting several events in motion that lead to that storyline and several of its biggest plot twists. On top of this, Marvel has announced that Avengers: Secret Wars will land in 2026, and if this movie adapts the comic event of the same name, then the Illuminati will be pivotal in setting up that plot.