Marvel Studios has nearly introduced all the members of a powerful villain team from Marvel Comics, who could become the perfect dark replacement for the Avengers in the MCU. Marvel Studios has been without a superpowered team since 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, as the Avengers have disbanded, the Thunderbolts are yet to form, and teams such as the Young Avengers and the Midnight Sons have only been teased. This could soon change, however, as several notable villains have recently been introduced to the MCU, hinting at the formation of a terrifying Marvel Comics team.

As the MCU heads towards Phase 6’s Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, a number of powerful teams have been set up. Sam Wilson will be asked to rebuild the Avengers in Captain America: Brave New World, 2025’s Thunderbolts* will bring together reformed villains and antiheroes, and The Marvels officially hinted at the formation of the Young Avengers. Alongside these teams, however, Marvel Studios may have been setting up something much darker in the background, though one member is still missing from the MCU.

Every Member Of Norman Osborn’s Cabal Has Appeared Or Been Confirmed To Appear In The MCU (Except Emma Frost)

Norman Osborn Formed The Cabal After Marvel Comics’ Secret Invasion

After Norman Osborn helped to stop the Skrull invasion of Earth in 2008’s Secret Invasion event by killing the Skrull Queen Veranke, he was promoted to Director of the SHIELD-like group, HAMMER, and uses his powerful new position to push forward his own agenda. While simultaneously being viewed as a global hero, Osborn met with five other villains and antiheroes, forming Marvel Comics’ first Cabal. This commenced the Dark Reign storyline, which saw Osborn extend his influence with the help of his new villainous allies.

Willem Dafoe returned as Norman Osborn from Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy in 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, though a new version of the villain will be voiced by Colman Domingo in Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. It’s possible Domingo could reprise the role of Norman Osborn in the MCU’s future live-action stories, officially introducing the leader of the Cabal. After the confirmation that Robert Downey Jr. would be debuting as Doctor Doom in Phase 6, there’s only one member of the Cabal left to be announced for the MCU.

Tenoch Huerta debuted as the antihero Namor in 2022’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, while Sophia Di Martino portrayed a female version of Loki, Sylvie, in the eponymous Loki series on Disney+. Loki was in his female form when featured as a member of the Cabal in Marvel Comics, and they will soon be joined by Anthony Ramos’ Parker Robbins, a.k.a. the Hood, who will appear in Marvel Television’s Ironheart series. The only member of the Cabal who hasn’t been seen or confirmed for the MCU is the mutant Emma Frost.

When Could Emma Frost Appear In The MCU?

Emma Frost Is One Of Marvel’s Most Significant Mutant Characters

Emma Frost made her first appearance during Marvel Comics’ Dark Phoenix Saga in 1980’s The Uncanny X-Men #129. She was initially depicted as a formidable supervillain and a member of the Hellfire Club, though she evolved over the years into a steadfast hero, a member and even leader of the X-Men. Despite her heroic actions, Norman Osborn still invited Emma Frost to be a member of his Cabal, though she and Namor eventually betrayed him and sided with the original X-Men team to defeat his new Dark X-Men.

Emma Frost was originally meant to appear in Bryan Singer’s third X-Men movie, portrayed by Sigourney Weaver, but the role was cut when Brett Ratner took over. Frost was later played by Tahyna Tozzi in 2009’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine and January Jones in 2011’s X-Men: First Class , and was set to appear in 2019’s Dark Phoenix , but, again, was cut from the movie.

Even though she is one of Marvel Comics’ most iconic mutant characters, Emma Frost has been wasted in her previous live-action adaptations in 20th Century Fox’s X-Men franchise. It’s very likely that Marvel Studios will reinvent Frost, and with the MCU’s X-Men reboot already in development, it could be assumed this is where she’ll debut. However, Emma Frost could be seen much earlier, especially if Marvel Studios forms the Cabal in Phase 6, perhaps introducing her in Thunderbolts*, Spider-Man 4, or the upcoming Avengers crossover movies, which would perfectly set the stage for more mutants to appear.

The Cabal Would Be The Perfect Dark Mirror To Doctor Strange 2’s Illuminati & The MCU’s Avengers

Earth-838’s Illuminati Team Was Introduced In 2022’s Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of

While there hasn’t actually been any word on the Cabal coming together in the MCU’s upcoming projects, this team would actually make a lot of sense for the Multiverse Saga. In the absence of an Avengers team, now may be the perfect time for villains to come together to replace them, but with darker goals of their own. If Norman Osborn makes his official debut in the MCU, forming the Cabal would be a fantastic way for him to establish his influence in the franchise, and connect him to several other notable villains.

In Marvel Comics, Norman Osborn formed the Cabal as a dark mirror to the more heroic Illuminati team. 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness introduced the Illuminati to the MCU for the first time, though this version of the group helmed from Earth-838. It seems likely that Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange will build his own Illuminati team in the MCU’s Earth-616, which could prompt a villain such as Norman Osborn to establish the Cabal, with each villainous member representing a different category of superpowered people in the MCU.

What Role Could The Cabal Have In The MCU’s Upcoming Projects?

The Cabal Could Have A Crucial Role In Avengers: Secret Wars

After the events of Marvel Comics’ Dark Reign and Siege, Norman Osborn’s downfall led to the crippling of the Cabal, with its members scattering, some becoming heroes once again. While this version of the Cabal could be key to Marvel Studios’ upcoming street-level stories, this team could also replace the second Cabal from Marvel Comics, who had a crucial role in 2015’s Secret Wars. This team, formed by Namor, was formed with the purpose of destroying alternate worlds to prevent incursions from decimating the multiverse.

John Krasinski’s Reed Richards, a.k.a. Mister Fantastic, described incursions in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness , noting that “an incursion occurs when the boundary between two universes erodes and they collide, destroying one or both entirely.”

Marvel Studios has set up these events perfectly, introducing the concept of incursions and the Illuminati, who originally carried out this role in Marvel Comics, in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and promising to adapt Secret Wars as faithfully as possible in 2027. The MCU’s Cabal could be brought together to stop incursions from destroying Earth-616, giving the team a huge role in Avengers: Secret Wars, and opening the door for this villainous Avengers replacement team to become questionable heroes in Phase 6.