‘Iron Man 2’ Apparently Has an Illuminati-Themed Easter Egg
The power that Tony Stark had in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (and in Marvel Comics) is well-noted, even if he earned his influential power with his tech smarts. Many might equate him with real-life billionaire/playboy/tech figures we see today, like Elon Musk.
There was maybe more than met the eye to Stark, though, based on a recent Easter egg scoped out of a scene from Iron Man 2. What fans found there is a little intriguing and opens up something potentially chilling.
It also may give a nod to something that could exist in reality. If going by certain individuals who wield power in America, it was maybe a warning tale from a fantasy movie franchise.
Was Tony Stark really in contact with the Illuminati?
A keen-eyed fan posted on Reddit recently a picture of Stark’s smartphone from Iron Man 2 that clearly shows an “Illuminati” app there. Viewers can only see it for one second as Stark thumbs through his smartphone apps while in the middle of Congressional testimony.
Leave it up to the most ardent MCU fans to find this. It opened up a new discussion about what that app really means and whether it addresses the Illuminati as known to (possibly) exist in real life. Or, was it taken from a comic strip group of superheroes who were off-branches from The Avengers?
One thing about most MCU Easter eggs is they usually get created to bring subtle nods to things from comic book or pop culture past. A few could assume it refers to Illuminati, the renegade group put together by Tony Stark in the comics after the Kree-Skrull War.
Others might think it pertains to the Illuminati rumored to exist in our real world where the elite control everything seen and heard.
What does it mean if Tony Stark is part of a secret government?
Because of how powerful Stark was and the influential people he hung out with, it makes sense he could belong to some kind of secret cabal. More than a few people still uphold the belief that a real Illuminati exists in our world and many notable people we see in the media every day are recruits.
People like Beyoncé are said to be members of the group, even if most of that is taken with tongue planted firmly in cheek. Playing with the idea Tony Stark could be a part of it, however, is worth playing with as a side thought.
Then again, as one Reddit fan noted: “Probably just an Easter Egg. I am not sure the world is big enough for two new world orders, and I am pretty sure Hydra has things covered.”
Yes, when placing Hydra into the equation, one could almost say they were more or less the stand-in for the Illuminati in the eyes of Marvel creators. Maybe the Illuminati on Stark’s phone is something much more benign than what it suggests.
Maybe Illuminati was just the name of a business
Said one Reddit user facetiously: “Perhaps it’s a Salon in the MCU that Tony books appointments to lol.” The MCU clearly wanted it as anything fans wanted it to be, if seemingly a nod to the above superhero group seen in Marvel Comics.
What makes that problematic if thought of as canon is Stark never did create the Illuminati superhero group in the movies. This group consisted of Doctor Strange, Reed Richards, Charles Xavier, Namor the Sub-Mariner, and Stark. Most interesting is not all of these characters have been introduced yet in the MCU, other than Doctor Strange.
As secretive as the group was in helping all superheroes, it was created for something good rather than influencing what and how the populace think. Now, with Tony Stark dead, it may lead to analysis for years on whether he was part of something larger. If it was the cabal from the comic books, it was kept quiet throughout every MCU movie.
