Chiwetel Ejiofor confirmed to play Baron Mordo in ‘Doctor Strange’

Chiwetel Ejiofor is set to join co-star Benedict Cumberbatch and Tilda Swinton in Marvel’s Doctor Strange as Baron Mordo in the upcoming Marvel movie.

While the deal “not confirmed,” Deadline says while Mordo “is an enemy in the comics, don’t look for him to be necessarily a completely villainous character. Rather, he’s an amalgamation of characters culled from Doctor Strange‘s mythology. His isn’t the first change-up in the film; Swinton’s The Ancient One character is another, as the movie has gender-swapped the Tibetan male sorcerer from the comics.”

Ejiofor earned an Oscar nomination for his role in 12 Years a Slave.

Fans know the pair were both trained by The Ancient One with Mordo attempting to murder his teacher while Strange becomes the powerful hero in the MCU.

Scripted by Jon Spaihts, the film follows the story of the brilliant and arrogant neurosurgeon Doctor Stephen Strange who survives a horrific car accident, loses the uses of his hands for medicine, but discovers the hidden world of magic and alternate

TheWrap‘s initial report that Ejiofor would not be playing the villain, believed at the time to be Baron Mordo seems to align with this sensible explanation.

The comic book version of Baron Mordo debuted in 1963, making him one of the earliest Doctor Strange villains. In the books, he’s a Transylvanian nobleman who’s been studying under the Ancient One when Stephen Strange shows up for training.

Expect more details and reveals at SDCC next month.

Scott Derrickson is directing Doctor Strange and the film is scheduled to open November 4, 2016.

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Stephen Nevets - Stephen is a contributor and writer on The Dispatch. Stephen is the founder and editor for the Steven Spielberg Fan Club website and contributes to pop culture stories on The Dispatch, especially upcoming movie news. Beginning in 2016, Stephen took the role of Managing Editor for the Tampa Dispatch.