"Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" is filled with unexpected cameos, but one
stood out in particular.
Who is this powerful hero?
Keep watching to discover the eye-opening Inhuman appearance in "The Multiverse of Madness."
Warning!
Spoilers ahead.
The last few years of the Marvel Cinematic Universe have been crammed with crowd-pleasing
moments, from Captain America wielding Mjolnir in "Avengers: Endgame" to the return of Tobey
Maguire and Andrew Garfield in "Spider-Man: No Way Home."
Marvel Studios seems to have figured out an effective way of capitalizing on fan speculation
and nostalgia with truly entertaining results.
And now that the multiverse is well and truly on the table, audiences have come to expect
the unexpected.
This definitely works in the favor of Sam Raimi's "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse
of Madness" since fans are desperate to see who shows up from across the Marvel pantheon.
And the 2022 sequel doesn't disappoint, as the Illuminati apprehends Doctor Strange when
he arrives on Earth-838 with America Chavez, leading to a very satisfying set of high-profile
cameos.
"Steven Strange…The Illuminati will see you now."
Yes, it's fan service, but the cameos stick the landing because they're not drawn out
across the entire movie.
Marvel Studios keeps the surprise appearances contained to that one universe, as Patrick
Stewart reprises his role as "X-Men" leader Professor X, and Hayley Atwell once again
plays a live-action Peggy Carter.
One of the most surprising members of the council is Reed Richards, also known as Mr.
Fantastic of the Fantastic Four, played by none other than John Krasinski.
And to top it all off, the cameo crew is also joined by another legendary hero: Black Bolt,
played by Anson Mount, last seen in ABC's "Inhumans" series.
The ABC series didn't do the team of heroes justice, as it tried to balance its big ambitions
with a TV budget and failed hard at doing so.
You only need to look at the special effects used in an attempt to bring Medusa's tactile
hair to life to see why.
It's a shame because it definitely had potential, and the performances were pretty good, especially
from Mount as Black Bolt.
Thankfully, when Black Bolt shows up in "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness," the
film delivers a much more faithful version of the Inhuman King.
For starters, the film gives him his comic-accurate costume, complete with metallic wings and
head-fork, rather than the limp leather jacket from the TV series.
The film redeems the character in what could be read as a sneaky apology while also surprising
fans by killing him off as quickly as he returns.
But it's such an impressive death that no one is complaining.
Wanda Maximoff, the Scarlet Witch, magically seals Black Bolt's mouth shut after Reed warns
her that the king's voice has the power to destroy her, giving her time to react, and
this has disastrous consequences.
When the Inhuman tries to unleash his devastating sonic shockwave, it bounces back inside his
head and his skull explodes, killing him instantly.
It's a shame to see him die so quickly, but this is just one version of reality in the
multiverse, and there's nothing to say he can't come back in the main Earth-616 universe.
If you're wondering why Black Bolt is so important in the first place, it's because he's the
king of the Inhumans, a race of genetically altered super-beings who evolve thanks to
Terrigen mists.
This process either kills them during the chrysalis transformation or grants them extraordinary
powers.
Unfortunately for Black Bolt, his powers mean that he can't talk without unleashing a devastating
shockwave.
In fact, he accidentally killed his parents when he destroyed a Kree ship by shouting.
The wreckage fell on the Inhuman parliament, killing most of the council, including his
parents.
As if that wasn't enough, the shockwave also had a deeply troubling effect on his brother
Maximus.
The Inhumans are one of the largest factions in the Marvel Universe alongside the Avengers
and the X-Men.
In the world of the comics, they've clashed with the other heroes on a number of occasions
in stories like "Civil War," "Inhumans vs. X-Men," and the upcoming "Judgment Day" event.
However, on Earth-838, it appears that all those factions have struck an accord, as evidenced
by Black Bolt's participation in the Illuminati.
The Inhumans team was originally meant to get their own solo movie in the MCU, but those
plans were shuttered for a number of reasons, and the project was reshaped into a TV show.
It'll be interesting to see whether they'll eventually join the ranks of Earth's Mightiest
Heroes in the main Earth-616 universe now that Black Bolt has stepped onto the big screen.
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