Warning: This post contains spoilers for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania!
One location introduced in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness could set up the perfect weapon against Kang the Conqueror in MCU Phase 6. After the Loki season 1 finale blew the multiverse wide open, Phase 4 projects including Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness explored the complex concept in much more detail. While the idea of multiversal variants has become commonplace in the MCU, Multiverse of Madness saw Doctor Strange and MCU newcomer America Chavez travel through the multiverse, uncovering some key locations and characters along the way.
While most of Chavez and Strange’s multiversal journey takes place on Earth-838, where the pair come face-to-face with the MCU’s Illuminati team, many new realities are glimpsed which could tease some important storylines for the MCU’s future. One of these locations is the first one shown in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, as the opening moments feature Chavez and Defender Strange attempting to reach the Book of Vishanti in the space between universes. This strange realm, while not technically a universe of its own, could be pivotal in introducing the perfect antithesis to the MCU’s Council of Kangs, which debuted briefly in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, in the form of the Council of Reeds.
What Is The Council Of Reeds? Marvel Comics History Explained
In Marvel Comics, the space between universes is home to the Interdimensional Council of Reeds. This group is made up of many variants of Reed Richards, Mister Fantastic of the Fantastic Four in the 616 universe, who traveled into the space between worlds and worked together to make the multiverse a better place for its inhabitants. Their decision to leave their own timelines occurred after their father, Nathaniel Richards, and his variants were kidnaped by Immortus and forced to fight each other. Growing up without their father’s influence, the Reeds grew apathetic over their place in society, so left to fix the problems in the multiverse instead.
Originally, the Council of Reeds was formed by three variants of Reed Richards who had acquired their universe’s version of the Infinity Gauntlet, which provides only a taste of how powerful the Council can be. Throughout their career in Marvel Comics, they battled alternate versions of Galactus, the Celestials, and Doctor Doom, though they were eventually defeated after the Reed Richards from Marvel’s main universe refused to abandon his world to join them. However, after the destruction and rebirth of the multiverse due to incursions, the Council reformed in the space between universes, seeking to do good across the cosmos once again.
Fantastic Four Needs To Tease Reed Richards’ Variants
The debut of the Council of Kangs in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’s post-credits scene has introduced the idea of many variants of one individual coming together for a common goal. This creates the perfect opportunity for Marvel Studios to bring the Council of Reeds into the MCU, particularly after John Krasinski premiered as a variant of Reed Richards in Doctor Strange 2. The MCU’s Multiverse Saga can feature the Council of Reeds’ first appearance, but for this to happen, more variants of Mr. Fantastic need to be introduced in upcoming MCU projects.
Spider-Man: No Way Home saw Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield return as their versions of Peter Parker, so it’s possible that previous Reed Richards actors Ioan Gruffudd and Miles Teller could reprise their roles in the MCU. If the Council of Reeds is introduced before the end of the Multiverse Saga, most likely in Phase 6’s Fantastic Four, this could also mark the return of Krasinski, alongside the introduction of the MCU’s official Reed Richards. Since Mr. Fantastic is the smartest man alive and surely has knowledge of the multiverse, it would make sense for Fantastic Four to include at least a mention of his variants in the MCU’s multiverse.
The Council Of Reeds Can Help To Defeat Kang In MCU Phase 6
Should the Council of Reeds debut during Fantastic Four, this could set up their involvement in the battle against Kang the Conqueror and his variants in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, and certainly in the reality-changing Avengers: Secret Wars in 2026. Quantumania proved that Kang and his variants have realized the value in working together, so it would be thrilling to see Earth’s heroes going through the same thought process and relying on the help of the Council of Reeds. A battle between the Council of Kangs and the Council of Reeds would be the MCU’s ultimate battle of good versus evil.
So far, the Multiverse Saga hasn’t really explored many other realities in the multiverse, with only two universes heavily featured in Multiverse of Madness, and the Quantum Realm being the focus of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. The space between universes that debuted during Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness could provide the key to exploring more corners of the multiverse, as well as being the setting for one of Marvel’s most exciting new hero groups. The Council of Reeds could be the key to defeating Kang the Conqueror and his variants in Phase 6, and it seems as though the seeds have already been planted for their introduction.