Comics
Chiwetel Ejiofor Is Baron Mordo In Marvel’s ‘Doctor Strange’
Now that Captain America: Civil War is deep in production, industry spy eyes have begun to turn towards Marvel’s next theatrical outing beyond it: Doctor Strange. Details still remain scarce on the Sorcerer Supreme’s first MCU adventure, but we do know a few things. First off, the film will be directed by horror fave Scott Derrickson (Sinister, Deliver Us From Evil) and scripted by Jon Spaihts (Prometheus, Passengers). Secondly, the illustrious Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock) will be play the titular role. Thirdly, the otherworldly Tilda Swinton is reportedly portraying Strange’s mentor, The Ancient One. Lastly, the film will NOT be an origin tale, instead picking up well after Stephen Strange has attained his mystical abilities. According to Deadline, we can now add one more ingredient into our knowledge concoction: Chiwetel Ejiofor will be playing the part of Strange’s former ally turned nemesis, the evil sorcerer Baron Mordo.
In the comics, Mordo was also trained in the mystic arts by The Ancient One and eventually turned against his master, resulting in The Ancient One’s death. It will be interesting to see exactly how much this film will stick to that origin as a backstory and where all of this occurs within the timeline. Is The Ancient One still alive during the present? Or will be only see Swinton in the form of flashbacks to Strange’s training? Perhaps unearthly visions, consorting with Strange from the great beyond? And will Mordo be the Sorcerer Supreme’s only adversary in this adventure? I suspect we’ll know soon enough.
Regardless, this project’s cast is quickly beginning to take shape as the film marches towards production. We fully expect more rumors and announcements to fly hard and fast in the coming weeks, especially since Marvel will no longer be stocking up on announcement for this year’s Comic-Con in San Diego (which they are skipping). In the meantime, let’s contemplate how awesome Ejiofor will look if they actually go whole hog on the classic Mordo costume (they probably won’t, but one can dream)…
The supernatural world of Korean folk horror movie Exhuma grows larger with the arrival of prequel spinoff webtoon Maengjong this weekend, Variety reports today.
Naver Webtoon debuts Maengjong on May 30.
The series hails from Haemuri (Olgami) and will trace the high school origins of how shaman duo Hwarim and Bonggil, played by Kim Go-eun and Lee Do-hyun in the 2024 film, came together to face occultish threats.
The story is set to begin when “Hwarim, who has been concealing her identity following a childhood encounter with a snake spirit called Jin, crosses paths with Bonggil at their school.”
Variety notes that Exhuma director Jang Jae-hyun participated in the project’s early concept stage.
“We are presenting ‘Maengjong,’ a new series capturing the appeal of the horror-occult genre, ahead of the full summer season,” said Lee Jeong-geun, Naver Webtoon’s Korea webtoon content leader. “With the high school story of Hwarim and Bonggil, who left a strong impression in the film ‘Exhuma,’ enhanced by Haemuri’s characteristic tense direction, we expect it will be a welcome work for genre fans.”
“It is meaningful that the spin-off story of ‘Exhuma,’ loved by many audiences, expands by meeting the new grammar of webtoon,” said Lee Hyeon-jeong, managing director of the film business division at Showbox, which distributed the film. “We hope it will be a fresh experience for both film fans and webtoon readers.”
Exhuma was a breakout hit in 2024, becoming the first Korean occult film to surpass 10 million ticket buyers and the country’s highest-grossing film of the year. I wrote in my review that “the intricately woven Exhuma delivers one of the year’s biggest surprises in horror so far.”
The bond between Hwarim and Bonggil was one of the film’s highlights, making this prequel webtoon a must for fans.
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