It is confirmed that Mads Mikkelsen will be playing the role of Kaecilius in the upcoming "Doctor Strange." The announcement of his character made Marvel fans wonder why Kaecilius is set to be the arch nemesis of Doctor Strange, contrary to his role in the original comics.
Movie script writer Scott Derrickson set the expectation that "Doctor Strange" will not be an origin story. It will focus on the exploits of Strange, a neurosurgeon who loses his fine motor coordination skills due to an accident. He was destined to meet the Ancient One who trains him to become a Sorcerer in order to save the world from darkness. In the comics, the Ancient One was in danger of Baron Mordo, the real rival of Strange but it seems that Derrickson twisted the elements for the upcoming film.
Kaecilius first appeared in the comics during the mid-1960 in Strange Tales #130: The Defeat of Doctor Strange. He was actually Mordo's subordinate who only serves a notable role when he is possessed by his master. In the comic book history, his character is only deemed a footnote so many were wondering why he was chosen to be the big bad in the movie.
It seems that the shift from Mordo to Kaecilius gave the film more creative freedom. Choosing a character with a less powerful backstory gives the filmmakers more opportunity to play with it without having to worry about its comic counterpart. According to Movie Pilot, the filmmakers believe that Mikkelson will give justice to Kaecilius character because he was a good performer. They were confident that his acting skills could build up the character and make him a threat to Doctor Strange.
Fans will just have to wait to find out how the movie will turn out. Marvel's "Doctor Strange" is slated to be released on Nov. 4.
