Doctor Strange Star Mads Mikkelsen May Return To Marvel - With A Twist
To give Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) a fight in his first Marvel Cinematic Universe solo film, the minds at Marvel Studios put Kaecilius (Mads Mikkelsen) in the main villain spot. A servant of the interdimensional being Dormammu (Cumberbatch), Kaecilius and his followers devote themselves to the mission of defeating the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton) and accessing long-sequestered dimensions — chiefly that of their master. In the end, Strange defeats him and sends him to the horrific Dark Dimension, seemingly ending Mikkelsen's time in the MCU spotlight almost as soon as it began.
However, rumblings around the Internet point to Mikkelsen's return to the mammoth superhero franchise in the near future. According to tenured entertainment insider Daniel Richtman on his Patreon, Marvel Studios is reportedly looking to bring Mikkelsen back. While one may think this means Kaecilius will somehow return in a future MCU project, this may not be the case. Richtman claims that if the actor is to return, he'll do so in a completely different role. It's anyone's guess as to which new character Mikkelsen could play should he come back to the Marvel Studios fold.
If Mikkelsen is truly in talks to come back to the MCU, this time playing someone other than Kaecilius, many Marvel fans have pitched a new villainous role for the "Doctor Strange" actor to take on.
If Mikkelsen is up for another MCU role, many are hopeful he'll become Doctor Doom
Of all the characters from Marvel Comics history yet to debut in the MCU, few are as highly anticipated as Doctor Doom. The legendary Fantastic Four villain is a comic book icon who has yet to receive a definitive big-screen adaptation, and fans are hopeful Marvel Studios will make that happen in the future. As word of Mads Mikkelsen's potential MCU return in a new role has made the rounds online, folks on social media have discussed the likelihood and overall idea of him taking a swing at Victor Von Doom. "Mads slays in everything he's in so I would run to the theater to watch his take on Dr. Doom," commented Redditor u/BungeeJump in a thread on the topic. Even self-admitted non-Marvel fan u/terurin is intrigued by the concept, writing, "I can't stand Marvel. But I would watch for Mads."
As some have supported the fan casting, others have spoken against it. A major sticking point raised by commenters such as u/jkpulley1 concerns Mikkelsen's previous Kaecilius casting and the confusion that could come with him double-dipping in the MCU. This may seem like a logical argument, but it's not completely air-tight. Throughout the MCU's history, numerous actors have played multiple roles. As mentioned previously, Benedict Cumberbatch plays Doctor Strange and Dormammu, Gemma Chan plays Minn-Erva and Sersi, and Sean Gunn performs motion capture for Rocket Raccoon while playing Kraglin, to name a few.
Would it be nice to get a brand new actor to play the MCU's Doctor Doom? Certainly, but if Mads Mikkelsen is indeed returning to the franchise to play the evil leader of Latveria, he's undeniably a strong choice.