More ‘Doctor Strange’ Images Show Cumberbatch Doing Magic, Main Villain Cast

The Doctor Strange blowout continues on Monday. A new set of photos and concept art of the Marvel movie starring Benedict Cumberbatch emerged from Entertainment Weekly Monday to show the Sorcerer Supreme doing magic, along with some psychedelic moments. There’s also news on who is playing the main villain in the film, though no details on who the “big bad” actually is.

Entertainment Weekly shared two new photos of Cumberbatch in full sorcerer mode from the Doctor Strange movie following the earlier release of the star on the cover. The first up top shows Strange melding his mystical powers into almost a lightning bolt shape of energy. The second one below is a more reflective profile that marks the actor’s transformation into the character with the distinguished swept, greying hair, goatee, red cloak, and Eye of Agamotto amulet.

The doctor is in! See 6 magical first look photos of #DoctorStrange: https://t.co/bfrgRETIyx pic.twitter.com/L1wP5tx46o

— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) December 28, 2015

Perhaps more interesting is a look at the concept art from the film. The first is what appears to be the good Doctor’s Sanctum Sanctorum. The Entertainment Weekly heading calls it “The Chamber of Relics,” and you can see various mystical objects scattered around the space, including Strange’s cloak. The Sanctum serves as the sorcerer’s home and is a focal point for supernatural energies in New York City in the comics. How much Marvel plays up that angle remains to be seen.

The second is a psychedelic look at the Astral Plane. Marvel Producer Kevin Feige has confirmed the 60s flashback will be played up in the Doctor Strange film.

“When this comic appeared in the early ’60s, it really informed, in a way that is pretty amazing, a lot of the psychedelic ’60s as we know it. I don’t know that they were doing anything weird in the bullpen in Marvel, but certainly the stuff they were doing inspired all those people who were doing mind-expansion experiments at the time,” Feige explains. “So, that’s inherent to the property. And that’s our mission statement for the visual effects on this movie.”

The final concept art image shows Stephen Strange at his lowest point as he discovers he no longer has use of his hands following a car accident. This humbled the successful neurosurgeon and sent him on the path to find The Ancient One (Tilda Swinton) and ultimately become Doctor Strange.

-CONFIRMED- MADS MIKKELSEN is playing the MAIN VILLAIN in DOCTOR STRANGE https://t.co/BPPAWLZtem pic.twitter.com/OwqYJ5Txcn

— SuperBro Movie News! (@SuperBroMovies) December 28, 2015

Meanwhile, Hannibal star Mads Mikkelsen was confirmed as the main villain in the Doctor Strange film. The actor had been courted to play a role in the Marvel movie for months. While Feige divulged details on Mikkelsen’s character, he has yet to reveal a name.

“Mads’ character is a sorcerer who breaks off into his own sect,” the producer told Entertainment Weekly. “[He] believes that the Ancient One is just protecting her own power base and that the world may be better off if we were to allow some of these other things through.”

This appears to eliminate popular conjecture on the internet that the main villain could be Mephisto or Dormammu. These are demonic characters, other-dimensional characters, though, and thus do not fit Mikkelsen’s role as described. Chiwetel Ejiofor has already been cast as long-time Doctor Strange nemesis Baron Mordo. Who the main villain is could be anyone’s guess, but Feige is promising a wild ride.

“We will take audiences through sort of a guide to the multiverse, other dimensions, and there are amazing things out there — wonders that are going to be hopefully visually extremely interesting and unique to this movie,” he says. “But there are also very scary things in these other dimensions.”

What do you think of the first Doctor Strange images and villain so far? Sound off in the comments below.

[Photo by Anthony Harvey/Getty Images]