Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was a movie full of surprises. The sequel to the 2016 debut of Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) brought fans through a few universes, opening up endless possibilities within the MCU. As Phase 4 unfolds, we’ve seen the introduction of countless variants, with Loki first introducing audiences to the concept on Disney+ in 2021.
Everyone was shocked to see the introduction of the Illuminati group within the MCU during Multiverse of Madness. However, even the actors who participated in the cameos didn’t expect it. Lashana Lynch, who appears as a Captain Marvel variant, tells Empire, “It blew my mind” when discussing her return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Lynch initially played Maria Rambeau in 2019s Captain Marvel, portraying the best friend of Carol Danvers, the film’s titular hero. Now, she would return as Rambeau, with the powers of her alternate friend.
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“It was a wild one,” she tells Empire. According to Lynch, she already knew of her character’s off-screen death ahead of The Marvels and didn’t expect to see an MCU return. “Kevin Feige had messaged me, letting me know about Maria’s demise. [Characters] spoke of it in WandaVision, which I’m glad that they did because at least that’s good context,” she explains. “I was like, ‘Great, okay, she’s gonna be an ancestor.’ ‘No, she’s gonna be Captain Marvel.’ It blew my mind.”
With the introduction of the multiverse, there now becomes endless possibilities for new characters and returning ones to reprise their roles despite dying in the official timeline. Lynch hinted that she would enjoy returning to the MCU more prominently, saying, “Listen, I’ve already mentioned to Kevin about ancestors.” She continues, “I was like, ‘You know in Black Panther when the dad is a panther in the tree? Maybe Maria could be by a tree somewhere!’” In the multiverse, anything is possible, and more importantly, no one is truly dead in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The Illuminati Was Full of New Characters and Variants
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The introduction of the Illuminati in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was quite exciting for fans, even if it was short-lived. Baron Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor), Captain Carter (Hayley Atwell), Black Bolt (Anson Mount), Reed Richards (John Krasinski), and Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) all appear in the film alongside Lashana Lynch. Fans’ excitement was through the roof at the reveal for a few of these characters, as someone like Patrick Stewart claimed he was done with Marvel after filming Logan, and Krasinski being fan-cast for Reed Richards for years prior.
According to Lynch, the actors couldn’t quite believe their scene either. “Hayley [Atwell], Benedict [Cumberbatch], Chiwetel [Ejiofor], a group of us were on Zoom just staring at each other going, ‘What is happening?!’,” she explains. “I embraced Maria as a ‘super-mum,’ having a chance to flex in this very new but already existent way. It felt like it was meant to be for her.”
Although it’s unknown whether we will see Lynch return for another role within the MCU, fans can hold out hope as there would be endless variants of her spread throughout the multiverse. Of course, the Illuminati met an untimely demise in Multiverse of Madness, but the actress is down to return in one form or another in future projects, perhaps The Marvels?
