When it comes to Marvel’s latest upcoming film, DOCTOR STRANGE, there is one word that the filmmakers and actors keep on using that runs the risk of getting worn out, and that word is: different. “Expect DOCTOR STRANGE to be different.” “DOCTOR STRANGE will be different from any other Marvel film ever made.” There is nothing inherently bad about that — given how many films currently exist in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a little bit of change was definitely in order. However, we can only hear the same verbiage over and over again so many times before growing weary of it. Luckily, one of the film’s stars Mads Mikkelsen was there to change things up a bit.

In a recent interview with Yahoo! Movies, Mikkelsen talked about how unique the comic books are — especially when compared to the upcoming film:

“If you look at the comic books, the comic books are quite different [to other Marvel stories]. I think that the film will be different from the other [Marvel] films that we’ve seen, but not as different as the books are, because that was basically the ‘60s and ‘70s – it was more like an acid trip.”

Indeed, if you’ve ever had a chance to check out the comics, sometimes the visuals and story get crazy and surreal — sometimes to the point where it makes for a distancing read. It’s enjoyable, don’t get me wrong, but I feel more like I’m enjoying looking “at” the comic, not necessarily being enthralled with the characters or story themselves. This is something that is likely to be remedied with the films. If there’s anything Marvel has succeeded with in their previous movies, it’s injecting them with a heavy dose of heart.

Mikkelsen continued:

“We’ve taken that fascination of the time into something we can relate to today. So you still have the energy, you still have the colors, you still have the madness, but you also have something you can identify with. I think that was a necessity – if not, you would just make a crazy film. But you still have it there – you have all the action, all the good ingredients you get in a Marvel film, but it will have a different flavor, that’s for sure.”

It’s no real surprise that Mads Mikkelsen plays a villain in this film. Let’s face it, the man has the face of a villain in the best possible way. However, if there is one Achilles’ heel to the MCU, it’s the villains. Oftentimes, they are flat characters with boring motivations. More than anything, they’re an obstacle for the heroes to overcome, and little else.

If Mikkelsen is to be believed, perhaps the currently-unknown villain in DOCTOR STRANGE will be one of the few exceptions. Rather than being the stereotypical image of evil, it looks like he may sway slightly sympathetic. 

“He’s not a villain in that way – he’s a man who believes in something else than the hero. That doesn’t mean that he doesn’t want to make the planet look wonderful or he wants to save the world as well, but he has a different way of doing it. He is the antagonist, of course, but he’s not necessarily wrong.”

Hopefully Mikkelsen’s comments end up being true. As much as I’d love to believe them, actors have a tendency to side heavily with their characters in these interviews — and why wouldn’t they? They do have to embody them in order to make them believable. Fingers crossed that the intentions of this antagonist come across on screen.

Finally, Mikkelsen went on to praise the casting of Benedict Cumberbatch in the lead role.

“Within that world, there is definitely some strong characters and strong character work and especially the character of Doctor Strange,” he said. “Doctor Strange is so complex and so interesting and Benedict is a complete perfect choice for that one.”

DOCTOR STRANGE hits U.S. theaters on November 4, 2016.

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SOURCE: Yahoo! Movies