Each new release in the Marvel Cinematic Universe has produced a unique addition to the growing mega-franchise, and the upcoming Doctor Strange is no different. The original comic was famous for expanding the pop-art vocabulary of comics by incorporating abstract and surrealist styles into traditional superhero imagery, and the new film looks to be bringing a stylized sensibility of its own to bear along with a supernatural sensibility not yet seen in previous Marvel films.

In a recent interview, actor Mads Mikkelsen teased the importance of the film’s new look in comparison to other Marvel films. He also discussed some new details regarding his character – a villain whose name has yet to be revealed.

While many fans presume that Mikkelsen’s villainous character is a version of traditional nemesis Dormammu, ruler of the Dark Dimension, there has been no official confirmation that this is the case. Thus far, the only clue to the character’s true identity has been the unusual prosthetic makeup applied to the actor, which some have taken to represent a human being in transition to some other form of creature. While speaking to Yahoo! Movies, Mikkelsen stopped short of confirming his identity, but he offered tantilizing clues for fans to analyze:

“He’s not a villain in that way – he’s a man who believes in something else than the hero,” he explained. “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.”

He also offered his thoughts on the style of the film, which looks to merge the psychedelic hyper-stylization of the comics with a modern Marvel twist; promising audiences a mix of styles and genres to create something entirely new to the increasingly superhero-crowded blockbuster landscape. The original Doctor Strange comics, as drawn by Steve Ditko, are considered some of the most startlingly original of their era.

While the actor (along with his co-stars and director Scott Derrickson) are still playing things close to the vest in terms of details regarding the project, fans may not have to wait much longer: Marvel recently announced it will be in attendance at this year’s SDCC, with many anticipating that new Doctor Strange footage will come with them.

“I don’t know if you’re familiar with the old comics but it’s quite a specific universe, with Kung Fu and Magic… so what’s not to love, really?

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 colours, 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 flavour, that’s for sure.”

Captain America: Civil War is in theaters now. Doctor Strange opens November 4, 2016; Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 – May 5, 2017; Spider-Man: Homecoming – July 7, 2017; Thor: Ragnarok – November 3, 2017; Black Panther – February 16, 2018; Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 – May 4, 2018; Ant-Man and the Wasp – July 6, 2018; Captain Marvel– March 8, 2019; Avengers: Infinity War Part 2– May 3, 2019; and as-yet untitled Marvel movies on July 12, 2019, and on May 1, July 10, and November 6 in 2020.

Source: Yahoo! Movies