As is now the tradition for Marvel movies, Doctor Strange has been released in Australia today — two weeks before it arrives in the US. But as the film has released publicly, it’s suddenly become open season on spoilers, apparently, and Director Scott Derrickson has already started discussing a major, major twist in the film.
Like, seriously, no. If you don’t want what is apparently a major part of Doctor Strange spoiled for you yet, turn back now. Look!
Double warnings. You’ve had your chance. Don’t make me photoshop flashing alarms all over a third one. Right, ready?
IGN has published a new interview with Derrickson about the movie discussing some pretty shocking news: Benedict Cumberbatch plays more than one Marvel character in Doctor Strange. As well as the titular master of the mystic arts, according to Derrickson Cumberbatch provided the physical performance for none other than…
…the dread Dormammu himself, one of Strange’s most iconic villains in the comics. Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?
According to the interview, Dormammu — who’s long been teased for the film, but has mostly been speculated as turning up in a potential sequel — is in fact a major part of the film’s climax, summoned by Mads Mikkelsen’s character Kaecilius. While an uncredited British actor provides Dormammu’s voice, Cumberbatch provides motion capture work for Dormammu’s face:
We knew it was an all CG character, but as we were in production Benedict brought it up as an idea. He said, ‘What would you think about me doing it?’ I said, ‘Let me think about it, you know.’
It’s an interesting idea, because I did fancy the idea that as this other-dimensional being he’s not moving through the Dark Dimension, with a countenance, with eyes and a face, eyes and a mouth, and a human visage — why would he? He takes that form on to communicate with Strange.
Does this mean that should Dormammu show up in Doctor Strange 2: The Strangening, Cumberbatch will reprise the role? Will he get a different physical form? Either way, now we know that a major part of the Doctor Strange mythos is indeed in the movie.