With all the reported rewrites and reshoots during the production of Captain America: Brave New World, a number of characters were cut to give Sam Wilson a clear flight path onto screens. The Serpent Society were among the biggest casualties in the film, including WWE star Seth Rollins, who did not make it to the final cut. Another team that appeared in earlier drafts of the film, however, was The Illuminati, who, while only making it as far as script pages, have seemingly been linked to who Samuel Sterns (Tim Blake Nelson) was referring to in the film's post-credit scene.
Director Julius Onah was asked to confirm whether the team composed of Marvel's most remarkable minds would actually appear in the film and who would be on the member list for his version of the group. Naturally, as is customary for anyone who has worked on a Marvel movie, Onah remained as quiet as possible but did suggest that they might be referenced in the movie's closing moments.
"I’m not going to say! I’m not going to say," he promised to The Wrap during intense questioning. "Let’s just say things are purposely left vague in that post-credit for a reason."
He isn't kidding, either. After Sam's visit to Thunderbolt Ross in The Raft at the end of Brave New World, the new Captain America receives some cryptic threats from Samuel Stern. "All you heroes protecting this world, you think you're the only ones? You think this is the only world? We'll see what happens when you have to protect this place from the others."
Initially, it was expected that this hinted at both Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, which would involve worlds from other dimensions colliding with the one we've followed since 2008. Could there be a possibility that another version of The Illuminati, last seen being defeated by Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, might join the fray, seeking some payback?
Just in case they do make a return, why not check out our guide to Marvel's Illuminati here. Just don't tell them we sent you.
