Much like his character in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Mads Mikkelsen’s role in Doctor Strange is shrouded in mystery. We know he’s playing the main villain and 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 a Doctor Strange prequel comic written by Will Corona Pilgrim with art by Jorge Fornes. The story tells of the masters of the mystic arts, led by Benedict 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 on Comixology, but ComicBook.com pulled 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’s Kevin Feige previously revealed that Kaecilius is “a sorcerer who breaks off into his own sect” and “believes that the Ancient One [played by Tilda 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 read Strange Tales or watched the Doctor Strange animated movie will have an idea or two.
Director Scott Derrickson teased some major plans for Doctor Strange at San Diego Comic-Con this month, meaning appearances and footage debut from the cast are more than likely to feature.
Doctor Strange, starring Benedict Cumberbatch as 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.
