Much like his character inRogue One: A Star Wars Story,Mads Mikkelsen’s role inDoctor Strangeis shrouded in mystery. We know he’s playingthe main villainand that his name is Kaecilius, the latter we learned from some toy line release info rather than official details. Other than that, we’ve also seen the sorcerer appear in the film’s teaser trailer, showing him with a semi-painted face and warping the fabric of reality around him. But thanks to a new prequel comic book, we now have more intel.
Marvel Comics debuted the first part of aDoctor Strangeprequel comic written byWill Corona Pilgrimwith art byJorge Fornes. The story tells of the masters of the mystic arts, led byBenedict Wong’s Wong, as they investigate an ancient relic stolen from the British Museum by a mysterious sorceress. A free preview of a few panels can be seen onComixology, butComicBook.compulled some additional imagery from the pages.
According to the site, the prequel comic reveals Kaecilius was at one point a high-ranking sorcerer fighting alongside Wong and the mystics. He is defeated after dispatching himself to investigate the theft, and returns with magical backup. While his teammates typically use staffs as weapons, Kaecilius wields two Scythe-like daggers.
Marvel’sKevin Feigepreviously revealedthat Kaecilius is “a sorcerer who breaks off into his own sect” and “believes that the Ancient One [played byTilda Swinton] is just protecting her own power base and that the world may be better off if we were to allow some of these other things through.” What “other things” are still unknown, though anyone who’s ever readStrange Talesor watched theDoctor Strangeanimated movie will have an idea or two.
DirectorScott Derricksonteased some major plansforDoctor Strangeat San Diego Comic-Con this month, meaning appearances and footage debut from the cast are more than likely to feature.
Doctor Strange, starringBenedict Cumberbatchas the Sorcerer Supreme, will hit theaters on November 4. Here’s the official synopsis:
Marvel’s Doctor Strange follows the story of the talented neurosurgeon Doctor Stephen Strange who, after a tragic car accident, must put ego aside and learn the secrets of a hidden world of mysticism and alternate dimensions. Based in New York City’s Greenwich Village, Doctor Strange must act as an intermediary between the real world and what lies beyond, utilizing a vast array of metaphysical abilities and artifacts to protect the Marvel cinematic universe.
