When 2016’s Doctor Strange came to its full, post-credit enhanced conclusion, Chiwetel Ejiofor’s Karl Mordo had officially broken bad. Proclaiming the world as having “too many sorcerers,” Mordo struck his first blow to pay that ever present bill that comes due with the sort of actions similar to what we saw Benedict Cumberbatch accomplish in the film’s finale. And after several years in hiding, we’ll definitely be seeing Karl Mordo returning in 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
As he was on hand for the press day to Netflix’s The Old Guard, Chiwetel Ejiofor was naturally going to be asked by Comicbook.com about whether or not Sam Raimi’s sequel to the first Scott Derrickson directed film would bring this underused villain back properly. While he was naturally cryptic about what exactly the future would bring, Ejiofor did confirm that his adversarial presence would make Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness a little more complicated for Benedict Cumberbatch’s Sorcerer Supreme.
This is probably the most natural move for this bold sequel to make, as the world building in Phase 4 will obviously present Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness the opportunity to build Stephen Strange’s mystical mythos into a greater launchpad. It’s also a welcomed piece of news in light of the fact that Rachel McAdams’ Christine Palmer will reportedly be one of the major omissions from the cast list of the next chapter.
Karl Mordo is the second returning, support player who's confirmed to return for the Doctor Strange sequel, as Benedict Wong’s character, Wong, has also been implied to be along for the ride in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. At least, his seemingly intimated knowledge of the shooting schedule for this spirited sequel, as well as Wong’s return cameo in Avengers: Endgame would have the world thinking that way. Anyone who wants to start placing their early bets on how a potential Mordo/Wong showdown would end, it looks like you’re about to start seeing some odds posted any day now.
Any production on Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is, obviously, on hold due to the health crisis pausing the world of movie production and releasing. But that doesn’t mean the wheels aren’t turning in favor of the film’s fates. And hiding out there, somewhere in the MCU’s current universal fabric, is a scheming Karl Mordo, ready to reenter the life of his former allies. If that’s not the bombshell used as a stinger to the first teaser trailer, then it’s not too late to change that fate.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness makes its way into this dimension’s theaters on March 25, 2022, with Chiwetel Ejiofor returning to screens in Netflix's The Old Guard on July 10.
