Doctor Strange: 10 Villains Mads Mikkelsen Could Be Playing

Long before Stephen Strange ever took up the mystic arts, the Ancient One was in his place, studying to become a powerful sorcerer in his own right. Alongside him was Kaluu, a friend turned rival who wanted to use magic to dominate others while the Ancient One wanted to use it to help.

This story of two disciples struggling against each other mirrors that of Strange and Baron Mordo in the comics. While Mordo doesn’t figure to be the villain in this outing, they could opt for Kaluu as a stand-in with very similar traits and motivations, albeit with a grudge against the Ancient One instead of Doctor Strange.

More than anything, Kaluu might fit best with how Kevin Feige described the character. A powerful sorcerer who disagrees with the Ancient One’s teachings? That’s quite literally who Kaluu is. Likewise, his robed appearance and effortless manipulation of a powerful spell cause Mikkelsen's brief trailer appearance to conjure up some visible similarities to this scorned sorcerer.

With Strange setting off to learn the mystical arts, it’s easy to fathom him being initially seduced by Mikkelsen’s promises of black magic as Kaluu. He's the inversion of the hero and would fit right into the story Marvel looks to be telling.