Raging across the theaters near you, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness leaves no stone unturned in its multiverse hopping adventure. As America Chavez and Doctor Strange work together to protect the Multiverse, Marvel fans witness history in the making. The Illuminati universe make its debut in the MCU with Doctor Strange 2. And according to this Doctor Strange 2 theory, there’s more to them than that. This Doctor Strange 2 theory states that the Illuminati universe is the amalgam of vintage, legacy Marvel animated shows of the 20th Century.
Does this theory makes sense? We present the points that do support this inference.
SPOILER ALERT: MAJOR SPOILERS FOR DOCTOR STRANGE 2 UP AHEAD…..
Earth-838 – The Illuminati Universe, EXPLAINED
The universe of Earth-838 is a truly peculiar place. The architecture is different and the rules in the universe ars also very unique. Earth-616 Strange was almost run over by a car before he realized people go on red and stop on green at traffic junctions in this universe. But the most important aspects of Earth-838 have multiverse shattering consequences and they deal with more than just traffic rules.
Doctor Strange of Earth-838 is long dead, having been replaced by Mordo as the new Sorcerer Supreme of the Illuminati Universe. The Illuminati are the world’s premium superhero team, instead of the Avengers back in Earth-616. And they do not consider the Scarlet Witch as the gravest threat. Instead they see Doctor Strange as the one true danger to the entire multiverse. The Illuminati may have been all but decimated by the wrath of the Scarlet Witch, but this theory does give them a little more significance than the two minutes of fame Doctor Strange 2 gave them.
How Earth-838 Brings Back Vintage 20th Century Marvel Animated Shows
The Marvel database categorizes Earth-838 as the amalgamation of three different universes. Earth-838 is said to be a combination of Earth-199999, Earth-82111, and Earth-92131. Earth-199999 is the Marvel Cinematic Universe that first debuted in the year 2008 with Iron Man and has been going strong ever since. Earth-82111 is the universe Marvel’s What If’s Captain Carter hails from. Earth-92131 is where things get interesting.
It is the universe from which all 20th Century Marvel animated shows hail from. From the 1990’s X-Men: The Animated Series to Spider-Man: The Animated Series as well as the Fantastic Four animated series, every animated show that ever became a part of Marvel lore is said to hail from Earth-92131. This Doctor Strange 2 theory suggests that the Illuminati Universe did take cues from MCU’s Earth-199999 and Captain Carter’s Earth-82111. But it was most heavily influenced by Earth-92131, which gave birth to and houses multiple animated Marvel masterpieces within its cosmic cradle.
Further Proof That Earth-838 Is Home To All Marvel Animated Shows
What reinforces this theory even more is that this universe is home to Black Bolt and Fantastic Four. Both the characters are a member of the Illuminati. And the Illuminati universe shows them in costumes that look eerily similar to how the characters looked in animated shows. Black Bolt and Fantastic Four have made appearances in both the 1978 as well as the 1994 Marvel animated Fantastic Four series.
There are obviously two exceptions to this theory – Lashana Lynch’s Captain Marvel is clearly a new character from a movie perspective. And Hayley Atwell’s Captain Carter hails from the What If reality. They were clearly added to the Illuminati Universe to make the universe more distinct.
Doctor Strange 2 Theory Proves Illuminati Universe Has Its Own Spider-Man & Iron Man
Of the many shows the Marvel Animated Universe housed in its ranks, two shows catch our attention. 1994’s Spider-Man The Animated Series and 1994’s Iron Man animated series are also part of Earth-92131. We never got to see a Spider-Man in the Illuminati universe. The Tom Cruise Iron Man rumors were also a bust.
But that does not mean it’s the end of the road for these two characters within the grand scheme of things. This Doctor Strange 2 theory says otherwise. Earth-92131, the primary source of inspiration for Earth-838, makes for a solid case for Iron man and Spider-Man to return to the MCU from the depths of the Multiverse.
Will it happen? Will the Illuminati universe confirm this theory in a new Doctor Strange sequel?Only time can give us that answer. But we sure hope it goes that way.
