Doctor Strange: 10 Villains Mads Mikkelsen Could Be Playing
Dormammu? Nightmare?
While Captain America: Civil War is rightfully holding a lot of fans’ attention right now, Marvel has already started getting people excited for Doctor Strange thanks to an excellent first trailer.
Much like the rest of the film, the villain of Doctor Strange has been shrouded in mystery. We know Hannibal star Mads Mikkelsen is on board for the role, and his blend of gravitas and terror could be suitable to bring any number of characters to life.
The trailer provided but a brief look at him, wielding some sort of magic to manipulate reality in a psychedelic way, and turning a church into a kaleidoscope. In addition to this initial footage, producer Kevin Feige has described the villain as a sorcerer who has broken off into his own sect, believing that the Ancient One’s magical teachings are a ruse to maintain her own power.
Then there’s also the recent set photos to consider, which feature Mikkelsen sporting some impressive eye makeup, creating the look of his skin cracking, and seemingly revealing some demonic presence underneath.
With those facts in tow, we turn to Doctor Strange’s rogues gallery to speculate. Marvel has used everything from A-listers to nobodies for their films and barring a few standouts, Doctor Strange’s villains are largely unheard of and bizarre. As it stands, it’s unclear if Mikkelsen is simply a human host to a greater presence or the outer shell of a corporeal demon on Earth.
Whether a re-imagined classic, or a Doctor Strange staple, there are plenty of options for who Mads Mikkelsen could be playing come November.
10. Chthon
A true elder God and the father of witches, werewolves and vampire, Chthon is a real piece of work.
Brother to Gaea, he eventually took to the role of being the God of Death. He was motivated by an insatiable quest for knowledge and used living beings to experiment upon. Fearing prosecution for his acts, he fled to a realm he created, adjacent to Earth, and has remained there since.
Evidently, Mikkelsen is not playing the deity as he is in his true form, but Chthon’s main mode of operation since his exile has been to possess others on Earth. His mere essence is enough to provoke supernatural disasters, and that could easily be the catalyst that calls Strange into action. That sort of multiverse-hopping cause and effect could also explain what Mikkelsen was up to in the trailer.
Chthon’s power is tied to the Darkhold, a bound account of all his knowledge, and it could be what he's searching for at the church. Alternatively, it would make a lot of sense if Mikkelsen’s sorcerer finding this book is what led him to separate from the Ancient One, culminating in his possession by Chthon.