We already know that Doctor Strange is going to be a unique film within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It's only fitting that one of the actors takes some unique inspiration for the part that he plays in it, as well. Mads Mikkelsen plays his usual, not very nice guy in Doctor Strange, however, the actor says he based his character, not on a great movie villain, but one of cinema's greatest heroes, martial artist Bruce Lee.
While Doctor Strange is a master of the mystic arts, that doesn't mean that the power wielded in the story is entirely ethereal. We have seen a lot of martial arts physicality in the Doctor Strange trailers as well. Actor Mads Mikkelsen apparently does a lot of it, and he tells Yahoo that he used Bruce Lee as his inspiration for it.
We have a lot of physicality going on, and it's martial arts, and one of my biggest heroes of all time is Bruce Lee. Who would've thought at the age of 50 I would get to be a miniature version of him?
While learning the choreography of a fight scene can be difficult for many, for Mads Mikkelsen it apparently wasn't that bad. The actor is actually a former gymnast, so he says he's actually been practicing all his life for this sort of a role. We can only imagine what it's like to be a serious Bruce Lee fan, and then have your chance to do some movie martial arts. It has to be a dream come true.
In Doctor Strange, Mads Mikkelsen will play Kaecilius, a former disciple of The Ancient One (Tilda Swinton) who breaks away from her, building his own sect. While Mikkelsen has said he doesn't view the character as a villain, all signs point to him being the primary antagonist of the film.
While we've seen a lot of the reality bending special effects in the two Doctor Strange trailers, martial arts is one thing that has thus far been missing from them. While we don't necessarily plan to be rooting for the bad guy here, seeing Mads Mikkelsen break out some Bruce Lee inspired moves sounds like a lot of fun to watch. It's too bad we'll have to wait for the final film to see them.
How excited are you for the next entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Doctor Strange hits theaters in November.
We were lucky enough to interview Benedict Cumberbatch at San Diego Comic-Con for all things Doctor Strange. Watch our exclusive video on the next page!
