We know that when Dr. Stephen Strange (played by Benedict Cumberbatch) becomes the Sorcerer Supreme in Doctor Strange, he’ll do battle with his arch-nemesis Baron Mordo (played by Chiwetel Ejiofor). However, may fans have suspected that Mordo won’t be the only villain in the 2016 blockbuster, be they human or from other realms. A new report says the movie will include a villain from Strange’s earliest years in the comics, though he may not fight the eponymous protagonist.
A new rumor circulating online says that Doctor Strange will kick off in 1968 in Kathmandu, where a group of dark magic "Zealots" have opened a portal to another dimension. According to Latino-Review, the man leading this group is named Kaecilius. Hardcore Doctor Strange fans will recognize him as Mordo’s subordinate from the 1960s stories, but going off this description, it sounds like the MCU will use him in a radically different way.
Among the villains from Doctor Strange’s rogues gallery, Kaecilius ranks near the bottom in terms of recognizability. In the early Doctor Strange comics he was officially Mordo’s "disciple," but acted more like a glorified errand boy, delivering messages and serving as a field agent. However, for the movie, Kaecilius will be used to introduce moviegoers to the world of magic and set up what’s to come in the present. He’s not serving the same role as he did in the comics, but he was never that well developed anyway, so Marvel gets a pass for taking creative liberties.
The big question is how does Mordo connect to Kaecilius in this continuity. Perhaps Mordo learns what Kaecilius and his zealots were able to accomplish decades before and tries to do it himself. Could Kaecilius still be alive and, in a twist of meta-irony, guiding Mordo from the shadows? Well, if someone like Dormammu comes out from the other side of that portal, probably not, but either way, Kaecilius will somehow trigger what’s coming later down the line.
The article also goes into detail about what happens when Doctor Strange jumps to the present day. Just like in the comics, the MCU’s Strange is a talented neurosurgeon who is injured in a car accident, though this time it’s due to him talking on the phone while driving. Despite several surgeries from Dr. Nicodemus West, Strange’s hands damaged enough that he can’t continue with his profession. After an encounter with magic (and sub-atomic particles, which should excite Ant-Man fans), Strange then journeys to find the Ancient One, which explains the pictures of a bearded Cumberbatch in Nepal, but once he finds her, she "initially refuses to teach him." From there, we’ll likely see The Ancient One eventually accept him and watch as Strange learns the mystic arts.
You can fall under Doctor Strange’s spell when it hits theaters on November 4, 2016.
