After months of speculation, it's finally official: Mads Mikkelsen ("Hannibal") will be playing the big bad of Marvel's upcoming "Doctor Strange" opposite Benedict Cumberbatch.
"Mads is playing our main villain," executive producer Stephen Broussard told Entertainment Weekly.
Marvel Studios head honcho Kevin Feige continued: "We 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," he said. "But there are also very scary things in these other dimensions." As Feige explains it, it is up to Strange and The Ancient One (played by Tilda Swinton) to protect Earth from these "scary things."
Initially, it was believed that Chiwetel Ejiofor's character of Baron Mordo would be the film's primary antagonist. In the comics, he and Strange begin as friends and pupils of The Ancient One before Mordo turns on Strange out of jealousy. While that storyline may still play out on screen, it sounds as if Mordo will take somewhat of a backseat to Mikkelsen's mystery character in the threat department.
"Mads' character is a sorcerer who breaks off into his own sect," Feige said. "He believes that the Ancient One is just protecting her power base and that the world may be better off if we were to allow some of these other things through."
One thing we wish Marvel would let through is the official name of Mikkelsen's role. Unfortunately, they are remaining tight lipped on that little detail.
"I've seen lots of names thrown around," Broussard said. "No one has quite picked the name that we've chosen for him. It would be fun to conceal that, if we can."
We'll keep you posted as more details begin to emerge. "Doctor Strange" will hit theaters on Nov. 4, 2016.
