Doctor Strange: Filming Wraps and Mads Mikkelsen's Villain Revealed
Over the weekend, production wrapped on Marvel’s Doctor Strange and while there have been numerous on set photos, the one snap that’s really caught people’s imagination is this snap from a comic book store manager who had a rather special visitor.
Dressed in full Doctor Strange garb, Benedict Cumberbatch popped into JHU Comic Store to purchase a few choice comic books – there’s no prizes for guessing which comics he may picked up.
How cool is that!
Benedict was on set with co-stars Chiwetel Ejiofor as Baron Mordo and Mads Mikkelsen, offering a first look at the later actor as a mysterious villain.
Why is he mysterious? Well, we’re not quite sure who he’s actually playing. The makeup is certainly impressive but there’s some confusion as to who he’s playing. Could it be Dormammu, a mystical entity from another dimension? Perhaps it’s Doctor Strange's nemesis Nightmare, self-proclaimed "master of the subconscious”, or it could he be the mystical Kaluu?
Well, when Marvel first unveiled Cumberbatch’s costume for the movie, they also confirmed that Mikkelsen would be playing a “sorcerer who breaks off into his own sect” from the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton) who teaches Strange. It looks like his followers will be the red-robed people seen running alongside—presumably chasing—Strange and Mordo in this weekend’s set pictures.
But look at those eyes! Is that some kind of possession spell? Perhaps, in keeping with Dormammu, the eyes are a mark of the demons hold over Mikkelsen. The cracked skin unveiling a sort of purple nebula of cosmic goings on which certainly delivers on the promise of ‘trippy’ visuals.
In terms of releases, we’ve got Captain America: Civil War coming first and it seems the schism that drives that movie will also affect Doctor Strange. In fact, the Russo Brothers, who’ll be directing the battle of between the heroes, have confirmed just who’s side the good Doc is on.
While he’s not scheduled to appear in the film, Doctor Strange is mentioned by name by Captain America in The Winter Soldier.
Directed by Scott Derickson and starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Tilda Swinton, Rachel McAdams, Michael Stuhlbarg and Mads Mikkelsen, Doctor Strange is released in UK cinemas on October 28, 2016 before opening in US theatres on November 4, 2016.