It was obvious that ‘Doctor Strange‘ was going to serve as an origin story for the character that the film is named for but we’ve just learned that it will also serve up the origin for Chiwetel Ejiofor‘s (‘The Martian’,’Children of Men’) Baron Mordo. For those unfamiliar with Mordo, he is being shown as one of his teachers in the film but comic readers know that Mordo ends up as one of Strange’s oldest enemies within the comics. Wether Marvel’s Cinematic Universe will follow that same route or just leave Mads Mikkelsen’s (‘Hannibal’,’Casino Royale’) Kaecilius as the main villain is something we’ll be finding out in November.
Historically speaking we’ve always seen the villains in Marvel’s movies start off as bad so this could be a chance for Marvel to give us a villain in Mordo who at first is thought of as a good character who later changes sides. One could argue Bucky went this route but when you throw brainwashing into the mix it becomes a slightly different tale.
Director Scott Derrickson was recently interviewed and gave quite a bit of insight into the character and some of the direction of the film. One thing we did learn is that this will not be the last we see of Baron Mordo:
“Mordo, in the comic books… was just really arch. And he’s in the origin issue and even in reading through – and I’ve read the entire body of Doctor Strange now – it was a difficult character, very difficult character to adapt. Because of the very basic archness that he plays all the way through there. So we wanted to keep what were the interesting aspects of him… but with the way that [Mordo] needs to be a presence in the universe of Doctor Strange and, god willing, in sequels, I felt that we had to start by establishing who he was before he got into that arch villainy in the comics. And that’s a lot of what we’re doing in this movie… we’re sort of building a foundational understanding of who he was before the guy that you met in that comic so that that turn isn’t an arch turn.”
When talking about the character, Ejiofor himself says:
“The source material was very helpful in terms of trying to construct an overall understanding of him and his relationship to the place, Kamar-Taj, and his relationship to The Ancient One. Of course, in the source material, it’s a much more two-dimensional story in some ways. But one of the richest things of this is finding the other space and really trying to create something that’s very three-dimensional and a person who has a real history and a real background and, as in the comics, has a very good relationship with Kamar-Taj and the Ancient One and by extension Strange himself. So I definitely thought about the character in terms of comics, and really understanding the ways in which the character changed and still keep the essence of who he is and add this more three-dimensional aspect to him.”
In the comics, Mordo always felt that he should be the next in line to replace The Ancient One as the Sorcerer Supreme and jealousy was a major factor in what he became but in the films that won’t be the case as Ejiofor continues:
“No, I don’t think of him as a kind of envious or jealous entity. He’s actually much purer than that. That’s what I mean by the comics create a slightly more two-dimensional aspect. But the place, Kamar-Taj, what it means and what it means to Mordo, is so strong and his defense of it is so deep and his loyalty is so committed–to the ideas of Kamar-Taj, to the reality of Kamar-Taj, and to The Ancient One, that he would react to any perceived threat but it wouldn’t come from a place of envy but from the dynamic of protection and loyalty.”
I almost feel that this is hinting that a decision which Strange makes puts Mordo’s world off balance and this is what sets the pair down opposing paths. It will be interesting to see if they make Baron Mordo an outright villain by the end of the film or if the two will both be thought of as heroes depending on your perspective.
Are you looking forward to checking out ‘Doctor Strange’? Do you feel that this is a good take on how to introduce us to Baron Mordo and take his character to a dark place going forward? Share your thoughts below True Believers!
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.
‘Doctor Strange’ is directed by Scott Derrickson and stars Benedict Cumberbatch as the title hero, with Chiwetel Ejiofor as Baron Mordo, Tilda Swinton as The Ancient One, Rachel McAdams as Christine Palmer, Michael Stühlbarg as Nicodemus West, Benedict Wong as Wong, and Mads Mikkelsen, Scott Adkins and Amy Landecker in mystery roles. The film will appear in theaters on November 4, 2016.
Source: Screen Rant
Stuart Conover is an author, blogger, and all around geek. When not busy being a father and husband he tries to spend as much time as possible immersed in comic books, science fiction, and horror! Would you like to know more? Follow him on Twitter!
