In Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness fans got some amazing cameos at the level they have only dreamed of, only for them to be brutally murdered by Scarlet Witch. Here’s these Illuminati deaths ranked.
Too late for a spoiler alert? Well, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is the long-awaited 28th feature film and is now in theaters. The film sees Doctor Strange, with the help of mystical allies both old and new, traversing the mind-bending and dangerous alternate realities of the Multiverse to confront a mysterious new adversary. In one of those reality, known as 838, he is judged by a tribunal of heroes known as the Illuminati.
As the title suggests, The Illuminati sadly do not last very long, as their arrogance blinds them to the danger Wanda Maximoff, the Scarlet Witch, imposes while on her rampage across the multiverse to be with her children. The Illuminati is a group created by Strange’s alternate self to decide upon difficult members and they include: Karl Mordo, Black Bolt, Captain Carter, Maria Rambeau Captain Marvel, Professor Charles Xavier, and Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four.
Illuminati Deaths Ranked From Worst To Best
Today we are ranking the Illuminati deaths in Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness from Worst To Best:
Honorable Mention: Supreme Strange
A death that can’t quite make the list, as it’s the one moment we see Supreme Strange in person instead of being a statue.
It however does deserve a mention is when an alternate version of Stephen Strange dies at the hands of his own brethren. As he’s become consumed by the Darkhold’s power, the Illuminati sees it best that they themselves stop him, serving the purpose for which the group was created. After the clash with Thanos, dead on the battlefield impaled by his own blade, in what look like the 838 Universe’s version of Titan, the Illuminati mourn what their friend became, illustrating their fear for what our Stephen Strange may become, a character driven moment of sorrow that also allows us to understand the Illuminati’s power levels, only making their deaths even more impactful.
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5. Reed Richards
Despite how much joy one can get for finally seeing (an alternate) Reed Richards in the MCU, played by John Krasinski nonetheless, and while he may be the most well-developed character amongst the Illuminati, the death itself gets a bit bogged down by the fact that we do not get to see him in action at all. There is one quick moment of elasticity when he steps in between his friends and Wanda, leading to a compelling exchange about both their children and parenthood, but ultimately one is left wanting more from, as Captain Carter states, the smartest man in the world.
There may a reason for that, captured in an interesting conversation between Strange and Reed that alludes to the future of 616’s Mr. Fantastic in the MCU, but as for his contribution to this film leading up to the cool death as Wanda mercilessly undoes him into strings and pops his head like a balloon, he sadly doesn’t last as long as he should’ve before his untimely demise.
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4. Maria Rambeau
838’s Captain Marvel has the reverse problem of Reed Richards, where she has probably the best involvement leading up to her actual death, but the death itself is somewhat underwhelming. She puts up the biggest and best fight against Wanda, destroying the British Museum around them, throwing energy blasts at one another, it’s exactly what one could want from two of the most powerful characters in the MCU clashing in a pure display of unimaginable might.
Sadly, she dies by getting crushed by a statue… a somewhat “regular” death for such an all-powerful character, at least as we know Captain Marvel too be. While we obviously can only assume that this Captain Marvel is at the same power level as ours, it does not feel like that’s how she should’ve, or could’ve met her end, in a film so imaginatively creative from top to bottom this one death in isolation is lacking for what we know Wanda can do, the imagination of Sam Raimi and Michael Waldron, and how Captain Marvel should die.
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3. Captain Carter
This is where it gets tricky to rank, as from this point onwards, all these deaths are great.
One of the best things about in the What If… ? Series was the introduction of Captain Carter and seeing Peggy Carter back on a live-action screen with Hayley Atwell taking on the mantle once more was nothing sort of grandiose, never mind my crush on Atwell.
Her battle side-by-side with Captain Marvel against Wanda is sensational, we see her brawly power, her stealth and tactical skills on display, she even delivering the line that embodies the spirit of the mantle she took on: “I can do this all day”.
Ultimately like all her friends, she dies but in one of at the most horrifying and shocking deaths in the film, being cut in half by her own shield. A true heroic death straight out of a horror film, but it is nevertheless heart-breaking to have Peggy Carter, the first Lady in the MCU and the emotional core the MCU’s greatest hero, back only to see her die once more.
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2. Black Bolt
This one gets a lot of points of how hilarious it is. In one of the most shocking story decisions, Marvel brought back Anson Mount as Black Bolt, from that abomination of a TV Show that fans, myself included, would’ve sworn Kevin Feige would want to stay away from.
Nevertheless, the MCU in one fell swoop not only celebrates Black Bolt by having him in a comic-book accurate costume, showing us his true power as he kills his friend Supreme Strange with the words “I’m sorry”, in his one line during the film, we even get to see Mount have a moment of real emotion as he reminisces about what he had to do to his friend.
But also illustrates his, and many fans’ thoughts on that long-dead series by quickly disposing of Blackagar as Wanda takes his mouth, his one weapon, away only for him to blow his own mind yet another gruesome moment where his eyes are filled with blood and his skull caves in.
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1. Charles Xavier
Our champion for “best death” is the one and only Charles Xavier, straight out of X-Men: The Animated Series on his levitating chair, green suit and even the iconic theme playing as he enters the scene. Ever the teacher and mentor, Xavier even entrusts the newly met Stephen Strange to make the right the decisions and stop Wanda’s murderous rampage before he intervenes in the massacre.
Entering Wanda’s mind, as Xavier is one to do, he tries to rescue 838 Wanda’s consciousness from under the rubble inside her mind, before her is petrified by fear, feeling the power of the Scarlet Witch as she overcomes his control and like a demon from hell emerges out of her blood-red smoke and quickly SNAPS his neck like a twig. This is the most violent in the film, the sheer sound of the bones cracking is nothing short of aggressive, the hollow eyes of Xavier as he crumbles on his chair and bleed from his nose, illustrating the overwhelming power of Wanda’s mind, which is no small feat as we know how power Charles Xavier is.
NEXT: Elizabeth Olsen Says She Will Always Defend Wanda Maximoff
About Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
In Marvel Studios’ “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” the MCU unlocks the Multiverse and pushes its boundaries further than ever before. Journey into the unknown with Doctor Strange, who, with the help of mystical allies both old and new, traverses the mind-bending anddangerous alternate realities of the Multiverse to confront a mysterious new adversary.
“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Elizabeth Olsen, Benedict Wong, Xochitl Gomez, with Michael Stühlbarg, and Rachel McAdams.
The film is directed by Sam Raimi, and Kevin Feige is the producer. Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Eric Hauserman Carroll and Jamie Christopher serve as executive producers. The screenplay was written by Michael Waldron.
“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” is in theaters now!
Renato Vieira. 28.
Film Critic/Screenwriter from London UK
Masters Degree in Film Directing.
EIC of YouTube Channel “Ren Geekness”.