Chiwetel Ejiofor has shared details about his future in the MCU after Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and has spoken out about speculation about a possible connection between his role and Venom: The Last Dance
Chiwetel Ejiofor made his MCU debut as Mordo in Doctor Strange (2016). Though his character was initially introduced as an ally of Stephen Strange, the final act showed a disillusioned Mordo taking a dark turn, hunting down those he deemed to be abusing magic.
Thoughts on the future of Mordo
Originally, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness began with Mordo facing off against the Scarlet Witch, losing his mind in the process. Marvel Studios cut the scene and Ejiofor ended up playing only a variant of the character’s Sorcerer Supreme on Earth-838.
In a conversation with Josh Horowitz, Ejiofor was asked if he knew the plan for Mordo when he was cast in the role.
“Sure, there were general ideas – as with any of these things that develop over time – that always seemed to be subject to manipulation, change or reinvention,” the actor explains. “In some ways, who knows? (Laughs)”
“There’s still opportunity for different aspects of that to come to fruition, and to be honest, there were completely new areas for Mordo that weren’t in the conversation at the time, that also have all this capacity and potential. It definitely depends, which I think is exciting, on the vision. An individual’s or the team’s vision for those stories as they move forward. I’m excited about that.”
“I feel like there are some extraordinarily committed and talented people within the context of that,” she continued. “It’s a world that still excites me a lot.”
Mordo’s arc in the Doctor Strange sequel
Regarding how he felt about Mordo’s story arc in the Doctor Strange sequel, Ejiofor responded, “Like I said, it was something new. It was something I hadn’t anticipated at all. In that context, I thought it was fascinating. I felt like there was something potentially very exciting about where that could go. I like that in general. I like the idea that these characters and worlds can be explored in these really cool ways.”
“I think there’s a beautiful open door there and just finding the time to tell those stories where it’s genuinely the most exciting part of that story that you can tell and shine a light on that,” he later said about a possible return to the MCU as the original Mordo. “I think it has the potential to be really remarkable.”
Chiwetel Ejiofor en Venom: The Last Dance
Ejiofor’s next project is in Sony Pictures’ Venom: The Last Dance. It’s widely believed that he’ll be playing villain Orwell Taylor, but the interviewer wondered if the actor is worried about potential fan confusion seeing him in the MCU as Mordo.
“I feel the best thing to do is to watch the movie,” he replied with a smile. “The important conversations happen once everyone gets to see the movies and then participate. The pre-conversations aren’t as important at this point (laughs). It was fantastic to work with Kelly (Marcel) in that world and to commit to a really special character that Tom (Hardy) has danced with.”
“When you see Venom on set, you say, ‘Wow.’ It’s a real moment,” pointed out Ejiofor. “Tom can stand next to you and you’ll say, ‘Venom is here!’ He’s created something pretty remarkable.”
Venom and the multiverse speculation
It’s pretty obvious that his character in Venom: The Last Dance isn’t a Mordo variant, but between this and Rhys Ifans’ unexpected role, it seems Sony is eager for the cast to lean into speculation to generate buzz. After all, the studio did the same thing with Morbius and Madame Web, only to have the MCU’s Multiverse largely be irrelevant to both of them.
Chiwetel Ejiofor continues to be an intriguing figure in the MCU and beyond, with his role as Mordo and his new venture into the Venom universe. Fans can look forward to his next performances and the chance to explore more of his character in future projects.
