Marvel fans are expressing frustration after director Julius Onah revealed that the Illuminati—Marvel’s secretive council of superheroes—were completely removed from earlier drafts of Captain America: Brave New World.
When pressed about the Illuminati’s planned appearance—specifically who was in the group—by The Wrap, Onah’s evasive response borderline infuriated me: “I’m not going to say! I’m not going to say. Let’s just say things are purposely left vague in that post-credit for a reason.”
But it appears that people aren’t fooled nor pleased with the fluff tease. “It was left vague because they still have no clue nor big plan be honest,” tweeted @MovieManKev, capturing the growing sentiment among Marvel’s increasingly disillusioned fanbase.
The removal of the Illuminati—a group whose comic origins trace back to 2005’s New Avengers #7—represents more than another blah editing decision in a film filled with reshoots, bizarre resolutions, and Tyler Perry-like costuming. It symbolizes Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios’ apparent creative tailspin following Jonathan Majors’ exit as Kang the Conqueror—induced by a sordid legal situation involving abuse—forcing the studio to rapidly recalibrate its entire multiverse saga and reroute onto this uncertain track.
The Illuminati’s excision particularly stings for fans, given its profound significance and storytelling depth in Marvel Comics lore. Originally conceived as a clandestine think tank comprising Earth’s most formidable minds—including a sometimes problematic Iron Man, Doctor Strange, and Mister Fantastic—the group has been instrumental in shaping major cosmic events and multiverse-spanning crises. (A prescient T’Challa/Black Panther hosted the first meeting in the comic but could foresee the old idiom of ‘power corrupting absolutely’ rising and elected to decline membership.)
“Hold up, they were gonna have the Illuminati in the movie? that’s wild,” expressed @CaptLuffy__, echoing fans’ disappointment at what could have been.
The decision likely stems from Marvel’s current strategic paralysis. Following Majors’ firing, the studio faced the herculean task of restructuring its entire Phase 5 and 6 narrative architecture. (Phase 5 now ends with the upcoming Thunderbolts, with July’s highly-anticipated The Fantastic Four: First Steps starting Phase 6.) The Illuminati, with their deep ties to multiversal storytelling in the comics, would require a significant setup (probably an entire film with lead-ins from other films) and payoff—something Marvel seems currently unwilling or unable to commit to in their current state of flux.
This reluctance becomes more understandable when considering the Illuminati’s complex narrative requirements. In the comics, the group’s problematic decision-making and egoist/megalomania tendencies have triggered universe-altering consequences, from inadvertently enabling the Skrull invasion (which could be usable) to causing incursions between realities (one leading to a second Secret Wars event). Their proper introduction would demand careful plotting and long-term storytelling commitment—all luxuries Marvel apparently cannot afford while scrambling to fill the Kang-sized hole in their plans.
The post-credit scene’s vague allusions to multiversal threats through Samuel Sterns’ cryptic warnings feel like a lazy half-measure, neither fully committing to nor completely abandoning the Illuminati or really any other concept. (On the other hand, it would have been cut if it had been entirely useless.) This seemingly tepid approach exemplifies Marvel’s current creative timidity, choosing to hedge their bets rather than push forward into bold narrative directions.
Kevin Feige and Marvel’s reluctance to promise what they can’t guarantee is understandable, especially given the Illuminati’s previous MCU appearance in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, where the alternate universe version of the group met a spectacularly messy end at Scarlet Witch’s hands. However, this cautious approach risks further already-eroding fan confidence in Marvel’s ability to re-create anything on the level of the well-executed and satisfying Infinity saga.
As Marvel continues navigating this turbulent transition period, the Illuminati’s removal from Brave New World was probably for the best, given how messy the final product actually is—I’m still mad about Isaiah Bradley‘s hair. Regardless, it serves as a reminder of the studio’s ongoing creative constraints.
Published: Feb 24, 2025 07:53 am