There are times when the fans need to get over themselves and move past their personal biases. I speak as someone that’s had to do the same with plenty of movies that have been changed over the last several years. It’s true, we want to see the movies that are being released mirror the stories they’re taken from, but this isn’t always bound to happen. The truth is that for better or worse, those making the movies are going to do what they want, and as frustrating as that can be, we don’t control the movies and how they’re made. What fans do control is their own reaction to the movies, and at this point, stating that the Illuminati in Doctor Strange 2 is both naive and childish, not to mention extremely shortsighted. I’ll explain that in a moment, but while I’m definitely one of those that likes to see the stories that have been penned and written before coming to life in the same way people expect, there’s a need to mature and realize that there’s more than one way to tell a story. If a person doesn’t like it, that’s their right, and their opinion is just as free as the ability to like or dislike a movie. But whining about it doesn’t show that people can be accepting of new ideas.
Whether you’ve seen the movie or not, comic fans will likely know that the Marvel Universe Illuminati is composed of Iron Man, Black Panther, Doctor Strange, Reed Richards, Professor X, Black Bolt, and Namor. That lineup might have changed a bit in the comics from time to time based on the decisions they made, such as in World War Hulk, but the point of the Illuminati is that these are the individuals that are charged with keeping things running as smoothly on their world without interfering unless they need to. Okay, it’s something like that, but there’s more to it. But the fact that the Illuminati in Doctor Strange 2 was changed around a bit shouldn’t really matter.
The group of Baron Mordo, Captain Carter, Captain Marvel, Professor X, Black Bolt, and Reed Richards put together some of the noblest ideals and greatest thinkers in the multiverse, and the absence of several of the other members could easily be attributed to a couple of factors. For one, Black Panther hasn’t been recast at this point it would appear, and people have already been grilling Letitia Wright for their own reasons when it comes to her part in Wakanda Forever. Plus, there’s nothing to indicate that, in the MCU at least, she’s become the next BP yet. Iron Man is gone, sacrificed in Endgame for the good of everyone, and since Tom Cruise’s version wasn’t bound to be accepted, and Ironheart still needs to earn her way up into a series, that option was out for the time being (it would be interesting though). Namor has yet to be introduced, so that was a no-go for now, which means that there were three open spots, and Doctor Strange was on trial, so it’s fair to say they weren’t there to give him an interview. But the Illuminati was wrong due to their casting? Get real, Professor X and Black Bolt were still there, and while placing Captain Marvel in this group was kind of awkward, it would have worked had it been explained a little more. Captain Carter is another oddity, but she was fun to see in live-action at least.
Fans need to just calm down when yelling about how this wasn’t the Illuminati they were hoping for since much of the MCU has been altered in a big way when it comes to origin stories and who’s going to show up in which group. One has to remember that the Avengers who were put together didn’t feature every single founding member, since Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne should have been present, and Captain America wouldn’t have been there, nor would Black Widow and Hawkeye since they came later. So arguing about who shouldn’t be in this group or who shouldn’t be showing up at this time is ridiculous, especially with the multiverse and how it’s going to change things around in a lot of different ways.
Getting used to change is tough, but accepting it and moving on shows a great deal of maturity as well as the ability to see past one’s expected limitations. Sure, it’s hard seeing things be altered, but it does bring in new story ideas and possible expectations that will keep people talking. Those that want to claim that this will ‘ruin the MCU’ and drive fans away can be the first to go, especially since it’s likely that they’ll come back just to see what might be next. Yes, people are that predictable, especially when they profess not to like something, but in fact, love it even if they won’t admit as much.
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