Fans were delighted to see Patrick Stewart reprise his role as Professor X in the latest
"Doctor Strange" movie, but there was one Easter egg that most viewers missed.
Here is the X-Men tease in "Doctor Strange 2" only hardcore fans noticed.
It's been a long time coming, but "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" is finally
here.
The bold new chapter of the Marvel Cinematic Universe pushes the Master of the Mystic Arts
further than ever before, as he's thrown into different realities in his fight to save America
Chavez from being killed by a supernatural entity.
Like many big blockbusters of the last few years, it was met with production delays due
to the pandemic, but the sequel finally gives fans the live-action multiversal adventure
they've been looking for thanks to Chavez's powers.
Stephen Strange is a little wiser this time around, although he's mourning the life he
could've had with Christine Palmer, who gets married just as the adventure begins.
The idea that there are alternate worlds where he winds up being with Christine is a tantalizing
idea for the sorcerer, and it's a sentiment Scarlet Witch shares in this turn as the surprising
main villain.
Wanda Maximoff is looking for a universe where she can be with her sons, Billy and Tommy
after the events of "WandaVision."
But the adventure across the multiverse sees Doctor Strange meet a mysterious council of
heroes who have sworn to protect their universe and beyond: the Illuminati.
Fans already got a glimpse of the team in the trailers, recognizing Patrick Stewart's
voice and the iconic yellow chair from the comics and animated series.
We can now gladly confirm: He reprises his role as Professor X.
But there's another surprising "X-Men" tease in the scene --and this one only hardcore
fans noticed.
It was only a matter of time before we started to get major "X-Men" characters in the MCU
after Disney bought Fox back in 2019.
As most fans will already know, the "X-Men" and "Fantastic Four" franchises exist in their
own separate universes -- although "Deadpool" makes plenty of jokes about Marvel Comics
and the MCU with his signature fourth wall-breaking humor.
"Let us go talk to the professor."
"McAvoy or Stewart?
These timelines are so confusing."
Although many expected Marvel to simply reboot the X-Men to fit the MCU, the studio is clearly
taking a slightly different approach, since Patrick Stewart returns from the original
movies to play Charles Xavier again -- although this time he's in the yellow hover chair.
"The illuminati will see you now."
When the film first introduces the Illuminati, it's an incredibly surprising scene, and Professor
X's late arrival only adds to the spectacle -- especially because the theme song from
the original "X-Men" animated series heralds his debut.
It's worth pointing out that this isn't the first time we've seen an "X-Men" star show
up in the MCU to reprise their role -- Evan Peters returns as Quicksilver in "WandaVision"
-- although it's later revealed as a fake-out.
Peters is actually a normal man named Ralph Bohner.
At least Professor X is actually who he says he is here -- albeit a marginal multiversal
variant.
The theme song is a real treat for hardcore fans, and it comes with another surprising
detail buried in the end credits.
When looking at the "Multiverse of Madness" credits, there's an interesting detail in
the music section.
It lists the iconic theme music as "X-Men '97 Theme."
This suggests that the upcoming "X-Men '97" animated revival series will use the original
theme song when it arrives on Disney+ in the near future.
It's entirely possible that "X-Men '97" is set to take place on the same version of Earth
that the Illuminati live on in "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" -- or they might
exist in their own version of reality.
For now it's anyone's guess, but the multiverse does open up so many possibilities for franchises
that weren't previously connected to the ongoing tapestry of the MCU.
Obviously, there's a "Fantastic Four" movie in development at the moment -- but it's not
clear whether John Krasinski will reprise his role as Reed Richards from the film, or
if it'll be someone completely different.
The same can also be said for Patrick Stewart and Professor X whenever Marvel eventually
releases a proper "X-Men" movie.
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