Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness‘ tie-in merchandise reveals the best look at Mordo’s character design for the film. Chiwetel Ejiofor returns to the MCU to reprise his sorcerer role who debuted in Scott Derrickson‘s original Doctor Strange film from 2016. This time, however, he is no longer going to be Stephen Strange’s (Benedict Cumberbatch) trusted ally after he lost faith in the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton) and the Masters of the Mystic Arts.

Like the rest of Marvel Studios‘ confirmed slate, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has been delayed significantly due to the coronavirus pandemic. Aside from that, it also underwent a change in filmmaker with Derrickson ultimately leaving the project due to creative differences with the studio. He was eventually replaced by Sam Raimi, who returns to the comic book movie sandbox since wrapping up Sony‘s Spider-Man trilogy with Tobey Maguire. Specific plot details are still scant for the upcoming sequel, but as its release nears, marketing materials for it are starting to pop up.

This includes a Marvel Legends figure for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, with the box art revealing a clear look at Mordo’s new aesthetic for the sequel. Shared on Twitter by a fan account with the handle @DoctorStrangeUpdate, the biggest change to the character’s appearance is clearly his hairstyle. He also gets a brand new robe, which is more intricately designed than his previous one, although it’s in the same green color. Check out the image below:

The first trailer for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was attached to Spider-Man: No Way Home, which makes sense considering that it’s somehow a continuation of the narrative. After the Infinity Saga, Marvel Studios has been slowly building its multiverse, starting with dropping hints in WandaVision and then properly confirming its existence in Loki. By Spider-Man: No Way Home, fans saw the potential implications of timelines overlapping each other following Doctor Strange’s tampered spell. Mordo doesn’t have the highest opinion of his former colleague due to his allegiance to the Ancient One, so it’s safe to say that learning about Doctor Strange’s role in Spider-Man’s latest adventure would only disappoint him more. If anything, this would explain Mordo’s line in the Doctor Strange in the Multiverse‘s trailer, calling Doctor Strange the biggest threat there is.

Mordo’s conflict with Doctor Strange was set up in the original Doctor Strange film, but with several key players, it’s curious just how big his role would be in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) not having her accent in the upcoming sequel indicates that she’s no longer in the path of healing that she was when WandaVision wrapped up. Then, there’s also the involvement of Shuma-Gorath, who is rumored to be the narrative’s primary villain. Luckily for Doctor Strange, he also gets a new ally with America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez).

via Screen Rant