Mads Mikkelsen confirmed to be main villain in Marvel’s Doctor Strange

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Just this morning we received our first official look at Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange and, given the response, it looks like Marvel's casting and costuming departments can count this up as a win. Cumberbatch definitely looks the part but DOCTOR STRANGE needs more than that, it needs a great villain. Chiwetel Ejiofor was cast as Baron Mordo this summer, and although the character is typically presented as a foe to Dr. Strange, it was hinted that the cinematic iteration of Mordo would not necessarily be of a villainous nature (at least not right away).

Mads Mikkelsen was also cast in the film, and Entertainment Weekly's recent coverage of DOCTOR STRANGE has revealed that he will playing the main villain of the film. Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige spoke a little further about DOCTOR STRANGE, saying that DOCTOR STRANGE will "take audiences through sort of a guide to the multiverse, other dimensions, and there are amazing things out there — wonders that are going to be hopefully visually extremely interesting and unique to this movie, but there are also very scary things in these other dimensions.” Feige went on to say that it's the job of sorcerers like Doctor Strange and The Ancient One (Tilda Swinton) to protect humanity from those "scary things."

Although the identity of Mads Mikkelsen's character wasn't revealed, Kevin Feige did give a few hints as to how his character's interests will come into conflict with those of Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and The Ancient One (Tilda Swinton).

Mads’ character is a sorcerer who breaks off into his own sect, [He] believes that the Ancient One is just protecting her own power base and that the world may be better off if we were to allow some of these other things through.

DOCTOR STRANGE hits theaters on November 4, 2016.