Baron Mordo was set up to play a big role in a sequel to Doctor Strange, so here’s how he can still fit into the story of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. At the conclusion of the original 2016 film, Mordo was no longer able to stay with the Masters of the Mystic Arts. He instead went off on his own and began to turn into more of a villain, like how Marvel Comics readers know him to be.

This turn by Mordo was brought about by a few different factors. For starters, he learned that the mentor and practices that he’s followed for years are not as honorable as he believed. The Ancient One drew power from the Dark Dimension to prolong her life even though that same power is what she forbid other sorcerers from accessing. Her death then paved the way for Strange to do whatever he thought was necessary to defeat Dormammu, including breaking the natural laws of time. As a result, Mordo no longer felt like he belonged to this group and came to believe that there are simply too many magic-users now. He makes solving this problem his mission and begins stealing the magical abilities of those who he believes are misusing their gifts.

When all of this happened a few years ago, the belief was that Mordo would be a big part of whatever story Doctor Strange 2 told. There were even teases by the first film’s writer that Mordo would have a prominent role, but those plans may not come to fruition with a different writer working on Doctor Strange 2’s script. With the uncertainty now surrounding Mordo’s involvement, he can still return to the fold as an ally to Doctor Strange - albeit a hesitant one - or appear briefly so that he could be the third movie’s central villain.

Doctor Strange 2 Has Outgrown Its Mordo Tease

Since the setup for Mordo’s villainous turn was made, Doctor Strange 2 and the entire MCU has evolved beyond the tease. Thanos attacked the entire universe, wiped out half of its population, and destroyed the Infinity Stones. Then, Doctor Strange and the Masters of the Mystic Arts played a vital role in assembling an army to defeat the Mad Titan again. While it will be five years between Doctor Strange installments in theaters, the MCU timeline has progressed several years into the future thanks to Avengers: Endgame, making Mordo’s actions even older.

Meanwhile, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has also expanded to become much bigger. The film will feature Scarlet Witch in a prominent role after WandaVision and deal with the multiverse in some way based on the title, all while reports of Nightmare being the central villain continue to appear. None of this really fits with Mordo’s personal goals of reducing the number of sorcerers.

How Mordo Can Still Fit Into Doctor Strange 2

At this point, it has not been confirmed that Mordo is going to be in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but it is expected that he’ll still appear in some capacity. His role could be tied to Scarlet Witch’s, especially if she is the madness behind the multiverse. This could allow him to stay aboard the sequel as an antagonistic role. But, there is also the possibility that Mordo’s return could be as a reluctant ally to Strange. If the multiverse has been opened up, Mordo and Strange may have to work together to save the universe. This would deepen the relationship between them and give Marvel the opportunity to delay a true duel of them for a third Doctor Strange film.

MORE: Doctor Strange Should Still Be Able To Time Travel (Even Without Infinity Stones)

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