Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness takes Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) to a different reality that’s ruled from the shadows by a powerful group of superheroes self-called the Illuminati. Marvel has a bit of fun with the Illuminati, as several of the characters are variants of heroes we've already known, paying homage to fan theories, or bringing back slightly different versions of heroes that we've seen in other properties that weren't tied to the MCU.
But probably the most obscure addition to the Illuminati is Blackagar Boltagon, a hero who can destroy with the power of his voice So, who is Blackagar Boltagon, aka Black Bolt? And why was Anson Mount chosen to play the hero’s part?
Who’s Blackagar Boltagon, King of the Inhumans?
Created by comic book legends Stan Lee and Jack Kirby for 1965’s Fantastic Four #45, Blackagar Boltagon is the king of Attilan, a secret city on the dark side of the moon populated by the Inhumans. Like the Mutants or the Eternals, the Inhumans are a Marvel race of superpowered beings where each individual has their own unique powers. However, every Inhuman shares a few qualities, such as increased longevity, strength, speed, stamina, and reflexes. These fantastic powers are the fruit of Kree alien experiments on primitive humans. Trying to weaponize the primates who inhabited Earth and turn them into weapons, Kree introduced the Inhuman gene. While many humans possess such genes on Earth, their Inhuman powers are only activated once exposed to the mist coming from Terrigen Crystals.
In Blackagar Boltagon's case, the King of Attilan was subjected to the Terragen Mist while still an embryo. Besides being born with all the fantastic Inhuman gifts, he also gained the ability to harness electrons and turn raw energy into a weapon capable of shattering words. Unfortunately for the King of Attilan, he manifests this power through his voice. That means a single whisper from Blackagar Boltagon is enough to kill everyone he loves, condemning the hero to a life of silence. While we can all agree that Blackagar Boltagon is a silly name, the hero is also known for his moniker, Black Bolt.
As the leader of the Inhumans, Black Bolt is one of Marvel Comic’s original members of the Illuminati. So, it’s not exactly a surprise that Black Bolt is also part of the MCU version of the secret group. However, just as with other members of the Illuminati in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Black Bolt and star Anson Mount were chosen as a special treat for fans.
Why does Anson Mount Play the Role of Black Bolt?
For the last couple of years, Marvel Studios has been taking care of producing both films and series for the MCU. That’s why fans need to watch WandaVision in order to understand what’s happening in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. However, before Marvel Studios took over the production of TV shows, Marvel Television took care of everything made for the small screen. While Marvel Television was shut down a few years back, they were responsible for multiple shows involving comic book properties, such as Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Cloak and Dagger, The Runaways, and all the Marvel series developed with Netflix like Daredevil and Jessica Jones.
As it happens, in 2017, Marvel Television and ABC released a single season of Inhumans, a live-action series following the Royal Family of Attilan. Although the series was inspired by one of the most-beloved superteams of Marvel Comics, the show totally bombed due to its questionable art direction, shallow writing, and lack of budget to make Attilan the center of the story. Even so, there are redeemable qualities to Inhumans, mostly its cast of characters and the stars who played them.
As you must have guessed by now, Mount plays Black Bolt in the failed Inhumans series. So, in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, he gets another chance to shine as the King of Attilan. That’s a great nod to a failed property, and fans will get excited by the idea that the Inhumans might join Earth-616 at some point. With the Inhumans show finding a new home on Disney+ alongside fellow Marvel Television shows, fans have wondered if the MCU is planning to bring some of its lore back into the universe.
Of course, Inhumans is not the only place we saw the presence of said Inhumans. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., a much more successful series, made one of its leading characters, Skye/Daisy Johnson (Chloe Bennet) an Inhuman during the second season of their show. She adopted the moniker Quake after being exposed to the Terrigen mists and awakening her powers of creating vibrations that mimic an earthquake.
With movies like Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Spider-Man: No Way Home cracking open the multiverse and Loki introducing us to the idea of variants, the possibilities are endless. We can pretend the failed series happened in another timeline and just bring the beloved characters for a new story. We would surely love to see more of Mount’s Black Bolt.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is now streaming on Disney+.
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