Doctor Strange: Mads Mikkelsen defends villain as meaningful character, says movie has 'different flavour'

Mads Mikkelsen has shared some new details about his upcoming movie, Doctor Strange, which is set for release on 4 November 2016. According to the Hannibal actor, the movie will be different from other Marvel films in terms of "energy, colour and madness".

Mikkelsen told Yahoo, "If you look at the comic books, the comic books are quite different [to other Marvel stories]." He explained, "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. 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?"

The movie will feature a "different flavour", said the 50-year-old. "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."

The studio is yet to release details about his character, but reports suggest that Mikkelsen will be essaying a negative role. However, the actor defended his character and shared, "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."

The Scott Derrickson-directed movie follows the story of neurosurgeon doctor Stephen Strange who, after a horrific car accident, discovers the hidden world of magic and alternate dimensions, and becomes the Sorcerer Supreme. Benedict Cumberbatch will play Doctor Stephen Strange, while Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Michael Stuhlbarg, Mads Mikkelsen, and Tilda Swinton will also be seen in the film.