Doctor Strange Prequel Comic Introduces Mads Mikkelsen's Villain

The big reveal of the villain that Hannibal actor Mads Mikkelsen will play in the upcoming Doctor Strange movie leaked in a, well, strange way when a toy advertisement announced he would be playing the little-known Kaecilius to Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange. So when it came time to pull back the veil on the details of Mikkelsen's character, Marvel did it on their own terms: in an official comic book prequel.

Marvel's Doctor Strange Prelude #1 (in stores now) focuses on Kaecilius seemingly before he's turned bad. A disciple of Baron Mordo (played by Chiwetel Ejiofor), Kaecilius is a high-ranking Master of the Mystic Arts who works alongside the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton). In the prequel comic, he and a team of fellow magic users attempt to defeat a thief who has stolen a powerful scepter. The scepter, which feeds on light to gain power, plays a big role in the comic and that might signal its importance in the film.

So far, there's nothing particularly villainous about Kaecilius and Mikkelsen has said, he's "not really a baddie." But there is one more issue of the prequel comic to come and, you know, the whole movie out in November, so there's still plenty of time for evil.