Chiwetel Ejiofor played a variant of Baron Mordo in Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness, but the fate of Earth-616’s Mordo hasn’t been revealed. Stephen Strange and America Chavez travel from Earth-616 to Earth-838 in Sam Raimi’s Doctor Strange sequel, attempting to escape the torment of the Scarlet Witch. In this reality, the two come across its resident Sorcerer Supreme, Baron Karl Mordo. 2016’s Doctor Strange established a tentative friendship between Strange and Mordo that soon turned sour, as the MCU Phase 3 film’s post-credits scene revealed that Mordo was embarking on a quest to rid the world of sorcerers.
After Doctor Strange, however, Mordo hadn’t been seen or mentioned, and the original version was omitted from Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The rivalry between Strange and Mordo was shown in the Illuminati chamber, but questions still remain regarding what Earth-616’s Mordo has been up to. Multiverse of Madness made a quick reference to the MCU’s Mordo, as Strange mentions that his rival had dedicated his life to killing him, suggesting the pair may have clashed off-camera between Doctor Strange and Multiverse of Madness. Chiwetel Ejiofor did confirm that Mordo had survived Thanos’ snap in Avengers: Infinity War but that the character was “engaged” at the time.
What Earth-616 Mordo Has Been Up To
It could be assumed that Mordo’s engagement would be that he’s continuing his quest, hunting down sorcerers and taking their power, just as he did to Jonathan Pangborn in Doctor Strange. However, Mordo makes for a very morally interesting villain, as he only steals the power of sorcerers he believes are perverting the natural order, such as the Ancient One using power from the Dark Dimension, Doctor Strange using the Time Stone, or Pangborn using power to walk. This means that his quest might be morally justified, as he only targets potentially dangerous sorcerers, though his absence from the MCU implies this might not be going all that well.
While it’s unknown exactly what Mordo has accomplished with these actions, a lot could have transpired between the events of Doctor Strange and Multiverse of Madness, especially if he survived Thanos’ snap as Ejiofor suggested. Mordo could have amassed a huge amount of power, though neither Doctor Strange nor the MCU’s new Sorcerer Supreme Wong seem bothered about Mordo’s conquest during Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and there seemed to be no shortage of sorcerers protecting Kamar-Taj during the Scarlet Witch’s attack. Nevertheless, with the threat of incursions threatening the natural order, Mordo could easily return to ensure that the bill comes due.
Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness Nearly Killed Off Mordo
Mordo will likely return in the MCU’s future, however, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness nearly squashed this possibility, as concept art for Doctor Strange 2 revealed that Mordo was originally killed at the hands of the Scarlet Witch. Given Mordo’s code, it makes sense that he’d target the Scarlet Witch, as the Darkhold had corrupted her into using dangerous magic to scour the multiverse in search of her children. However, Mordo was no match for the Scarlet Witch in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, though since this scene was cut, it’s possible that Mordo could return to rekindle his animosity with Stephen Strange.
It’s Not Too Late For Mordo In The MCU
While it’s disappointing that Mordo was set up with a bit of a cliffhanger tease at the end of Doctor Strange only to have that thread ignored in the sequel, there’s still room for Mordo to play a critical role in the currently unannounced but expected Doctor Strange 3. At the end of Multiverse of Madness, Strange is taken away by Clea to deal with an issue involving the Dark Dimension – home of the first movie’s antagonist, Dormammu. Surprisingly, Mordo could play an important role in Dormammu’s return.
While Dormammu’s otherworldly visage was a highlight in Doctor Strange, it’s a far cry from the much more humanoid Dormammu common in Marvel Comics. Usually, the ruler of the Dark Dimension has a human-like shape with a flaming skull-like head. If Dormammu is to play an important role in Doctor Strange 3, it’s very possible could be given an alternate, humanoid form to make interactions easier. If so, he could take advantage of a willing or unwilling host to be his bodily avatar. Mordo is unlikely to ever willingly help Dormammu, but Dormammu may not care.
Given that Benedict Cumberbatch voiced Dormammu in Doctor Strange, it’s clear they’ll need to let a new actor play him if he appears in the flesh moving forward. While Kaecilius (Mads Mikkelsen) may make more sense, given he was a willing servant of Dormammu, Mordo could make for an interesting way to use the character but have justification for not containing his magic-hunter story. After being possessed by Dormammu, writers could easily justify either pushing Mordo further into villainy or using it as a step toward redemption and healing after his absesne in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
