Chiwetel Ejiofor says he’s started filming scenes as Karl Mordo for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Despite being pushed back twice due to the coronavirus pandemic, principal photography for the highly-anticipated sequel to 2016’s Doctor Strange has been underway in and around London for several months. With Sam Raimi at the helm, the film will see Benedict Cumberbatch return as the eponymous sorcerer alongside Elizabeth Olsen’s Wanda Maximoff AKA Scarlet Witch. Following WandaVision, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness seems poised to explore the consequences of chaos magic and messing with the laws of nature. As Mordo puts it in Doctor Strange, “the bill comes due.”
In the first film, Mordo is introduced as Steven Strange’s ally and advocate; a veteran sorcerer who helps in the fight with Kaecilius. Once Mordo finds out that the Ancient One drew power from Dormammu’s Darkforce Dimension and witnesses Strange use the Eye of Agamotto to broker a deal with Dormammu (dangerous magic), he leaves the Masters of the Mystic Arts. In a post-credits scene, Mordo is shown stealing Jonathan Pangborn’s magic before claiming there are too many sorcerers in the world, suggesting he could be the sequel’s villain.
Ejiofor recently revealed that he’s begun filming Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness while calling into BBC’s The One Show (via dailyDSITMOM). "I'm shooting Doctor Strange," the actor said. "It's very exciting and I'm looking forward to that. I'm in an undisclosed location at the moment. [Laughs]."
Ejiofor joins Cumberbatch, Benedict Wong, and Rachel McAdams as the only actors from the first film confirmed to be returning. Back when Ejiofor confirmed his return, he also teased that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness may reveal Mordo's whereabouts during Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. Other than that, Ejiofor remains characteristically tight-lipped as not much is known about the film’s plot, the long list of (rumored) characters, or even the identity of its main antagonist. In the comics, Mordo is painted as a villain from the get-go. A rival sorcerer to Strange who’s jealous of the latter’s power and eventual title of Sorcerer Supreme. Mordo arguably becomes Strange’s greatest adversary, even aligning himself with villains like Dormammu.
Given his arc in Doctor Strange, it’s unclear if Mordo will be an antagonist in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness or make way for someone far more threatening. WandaVision’s post-credits scene, featuring Wanda reading the infamous Darkhold, may allude to the inclusion of its author, the Chaos God, Chthon (or Nightmare?). If Wanda’s negligence results in madness, Ejiofor will be free to regurgitate the phrase “the bill comes due” in a scene he may already be filming. With production seemingly on track, hopefully the answers are revealed soon.
Source: The One Show (via dailyDSITMOM)