Despite the fact that this week has seen some fairly sizeable reveals about the Doctor Strange characters being played by Rachel McAdams, Tilda Swinton, and Mads Mikkelson, Chiwetel Ejiofor’s Karl Mordo has remained one of the movie’s most mysterious figures. Well, until now that is.
The Martian star has finally shed some light on what we should expect from his take on the villain, but it doesn’t sound like he’ll share that much in common with his comic book counterpart. In fact, it appears as if the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s version of Baron Mordo is going to be one of Doctor Strange’s closest allies and someone who actually works with The Ancient One rather than against her.
“In terms of his life with the Ancient One, it’s this long and intense relationship they have that’s just very deep and very connected. I think they both recognize in Strange this certain quality that they feel is going to be very useful in a situation they’re in — just by the nature of who he is, and the way that he operates, and the way his mind works, and the certain skill set and personality that he has. So, when they all meet, they realize that he’s somebody that can be plugged into this very surreal, interesting, sort of fascinating circumstance that they’re all in, and the dangers that they face. It becomes a process of assimilating him into their ways of life.”
That’s all well and good, but like his comic book counterpart, Mordo is totally going to turn on his allies and reveal himself to be in cahoots with Dormammu, right? Well, don’t be so sure:
“Oh, he’s a very complex character that, really, I don’t think can be nailed down either way, you know. I guess it’s something to experience, is what I’d say…”
The more we’ve heard about Doctor Strange this week, the more intriguing the movie sounds. Unfortunately, we’ve also been left with a lot of unanswered questions, many of which won’t be addressed until next November. It’s going to be a long wait, folks.