Doctor Strange: 10 Villains Mads Mikkelsen Could Be Playing
5. Satannish
Created by the dread Dormammu, Satannish is a high-ranking lord of Hell. He’s a supernatural force of nature and wants only to amass more power for himself.
Like so many of Doctor Strange’s foes, he can’t materialize on Earth, instead using human pawns to enact his bidding. So while Mikkelsen may not initially be Satannish outright, he could be directly performing his will and being used as a vessel who is physically overcome by his being, an act that could be taking place in the trailer.
Satannish likes to make deals with mortals, offering them vast power in exchange for their souls. Mikkelsen could easily be such a misguided character in the wake of his dissent from the Ancient One. Perhaps Satannish literally replaces said character’s soul with his own essence, leading him to hold power on Earth.
No matter how his power is included for the film, Satannish works well to introduce audiences to Marvel’s concept of Hell without having to actually explore it too deeply. Perhaps it's more of a trippy kaleidoscope than fire and brimstone, offering a taste of how things are while still providing the opportunity to expand in future outings.