Already poised to take the crown from “Spider-Man: No Way Home” as the Marvel movie with the most cameos from other projects, “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” is looking more and more confirmed as the official introduction of the X-Men into the MCU.
And it looks like they’re doing it in style, with the best of two worlds when it comes to Marvel’s merry band of mutants. In a short 10-second teaser originally released by Marvel Studios Canada, fans get their best glimpse yet of the X-Men founder.
In fact, it may have been too much of a glimpse, brief though it was, as the teaser has already been pulled by Marvel, per The Direct. It’s also been already captured and shared in its entirety and dissected by multiple outlets like Collider.
In it, fans not only got their first look at the arrival of the X-Men, but also a live-action appearance by “What If…?” breakout star, Captain Carter. Hayley Atwell portrayed Peggy Carter in film and in the “Agent Carter” TV show before providing voiceover work for this alternate version who gained the super-soldier serum instead of Steve Rogers.
Before Doctor Strange tries to fix the multiverse, fans took a deep dive into it courtesy of the Watcher in the animated Disney+ series that started off as an anthology and ended as the origin of a multiversal “Avengers”-type team featuring both Carter and a darker take on Stephen Strange himself.
From the moment it was revealed that the latest “Doctor Strange” film would be dealing with a multiverse fans had begun speculating that this could be how Marvel would finally introduce the X-Men after Disney acquired Fox, and thus the film rights to the franchise.
Now, it looks confirmed that this will be the moment, with a glimpse of what certainly appears to be Patrick Stewart’s hand resting on the arm of one of Professor X’s most iconic modes of transportation, his yellow hoverchair from the classic ’90s “X-Men” cartoon.
Does that mean Stewart will be reprising that version of Professor X, rather than the film version he portrayed beginning in 2000. It would be a fair parallel to Atwell donning the Captain Carter suit for her animated version of Peggy Carter. It’s also just as possible that one or both could play multiple versions of their respective characters.
The teaser also gave mention of the Illuminati, a secret and ultimately controversial group of some of the most powerful and influential heroes in the Marvel Comics universe working behind the backs of their own allies. Doctor Strange was part of this group, alongside Charles Xavier.
They partnered with four other men, including Inhumans king Black Bolt, Iron Man Tony Stark, Atlantean leader Namor the Sub-Mariner, and the Fantastic Four’s Reed Richards. While Tony Stark is unlikely to make an appearance, that group mention certainly creates the opportunity to bring in another former Fox licensed property in the FF.
It’s also possible that this version of the Illuminati could be more multiversal itself, featuring representatives from alternate dimensions. That could include Captain Carter as the leading superhero of her universe, while also opening the possibility of more stars from Marvel projects over the years.
The wait is almost over to see just how many stars “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” can pack into its tight 1 hour, 55 minute runtime. The latest chapter of the MCU — which looks to blow it wide open — hits theaters on May 6.
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