UPDATE 4/1/22: The post referenced in this article and the images of George Takei in the Dr. Strange in the Multitude of Madness poster and trailer were fabricated as part of Mr. Takei’s annual April Fools’ prank. As George Takei writes:
Thanks to all who believed I would make a great addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe! I tend to agree! But alas, it is but a ruse, played with the help of my team on this First Day of April!
With just over a month until Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is to be released, fans are clamoring with theories about what to expect from the highly anticipated next entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The Multiverse of Madness Super Bowl trailer rocked Marvel fans with the big reveal that Sir Patrick Stewart looks to finally be joining the MCU in the form of mutant Professor X, as a member of the council of the Illuminati, a secret society of superheroes in the Marvel universe.
But the big question is who else is in the Illuminati?
From the trailer, you can see multiple seats filled with shadowy figures as Dr. Strange enters the chamber.
But who is who?
Among the MCU fanbase, theories abound that Mordo played by Chiwetel Ejiofor, as well as Monica Rambeau played by Teyonnah Parris, will likely inhabit two of those seats.
Another theory holds that Captain Carter—as brought to life by Marvel’s What If…? Disney+ series—played by Hayley Atwell, will fill another of those seats, considering the appearance of her shield in the original poster of the film.
But one eagle-eyed fan is seeing yet another cameo entirely in the latest poster and trailer for The Multitude of Madness, and it has a (dark)hold on us.
Just as Captain Carter’s shield was spotted among the shards of glass on the poster…
…Redditor SteveCarter4ev, in a now-deleted post, seems to have located none other than George Takei’s face among the poster’s shattered shards as well.
Which they followed up with a masterful zoomed-in detail from one of the shadowy Illuminati figures.
And yes, it appears to reveal Takei himself! Oh myyy!
To have Takei join fellow Trek alum Patrick Stewart in the film is a stroke of casting genius. But what MCU character would Takei play?
One member of the Illuminati who is rumored to be making his MCU debut in Multiverse of Madness is Balder the Brave, Thor’s half-brother. While George Takei would certainly be outside the box casting for the son of Odin, I’d put nothing past the Marvel casting team.
Although my own take is that Marvel is unveiling Takei as one of their many Asian heroes to perhaps co-star alongside Simu Liu in the Shang-Chi films. Now THAT would be a casting coup.
Alas, as with all fan theories rattling around the Internet about the Multiverse of Madness, we’ll just have to wait and see on May 6th.