With Captain America: Civil War, Thor: Ragnarok, Avengers: Infinity War – Part I, and plenty of other blockbusters on the horizon, fans have no shortage of Marvel films to look forward to. That said, one of the more intriguing projects on its slate is flying somewhat under the radar.
Doctor Strange is queued for a November 4, 2016 release and stars Benedict Cumberbatch in the title role, along with Rachel McAdams, Tilda Swinton (The Ancient One), Chiwetel Ejiofor (Baron Mordo), and Mads Mikkelsen, who is playing the role of an unspecified villain.
As per ComingSoon, however, this unidentified baddie has been spotted on the streets of the Big Apple, along with several other cast members.
Director Scott Derrickson announced on Twitter yesterday that filming had wrapped, but not before we got a peek at some sweet set photos that featured Cumberbatch garbed as the titular sorcerer and our first look at Mads Mikkelsen in costume.
Sporting a beige kimono, slicked back, silver-streaked hair, and some truly trippy eye makeup, he passes quite nicely as a mysterious and malevolent mystic, and we’re excited to find out more about his role.
Added 37 Pictures of Mads Mikkelsen filming Doctor Strange! https://t.co/3XA2fdfOWf pic.twitter.com/8eLYWi2ah9
— Mads Mikkelsen News (@MadsSource) April 3, 2016
First look at DOCTOR STRANGE’s main villain, played by actor Mads Mikkelsen.#DoctorStrange #Marvel pic.twitter.com/NsPF3RBlk6
— Popcornography (@PopCorn_Media) April 4, 2016
Interestingly, the photos also seem to show Chiwetel Ejiofor’s Baron Mordo palling around with Dr. Stephen Strange, despite the fact that the two are typically adversaries in the original comic. The pair are shown side-by-side in several different shots and they look to be tag-teaming some unknown threat. We’re guessing that’s Mikkelsen, but we’ll have to wait and see.
Either way, their apparent bromance is very interesting.
These dudes pic.twitter.com/5hNPhmpXCh
— Scott Derrickson (@scottderrickson) April 3, 2016
Check out the photos in the tweets above and see if you can guess who Mikkelsen might play in the film. At the moment, the prevailing theory is that it’s either Dormammu (a mystic life form using a human host) or Nightmare (the nefarious ruler of Dream Dimension). The latter is known for his glowing eyes and, given Mikkelsen’s makeup, that’s where we’re putting our money.
Some of the best shots in Grok Imagine’s AI-made Odyssey don’t contain actors. Ancient landscapes stretch into the distance. Close-ups of grimy hands suggest people who have touched something rougher than a keyboard. For a few seconds, the illusion holds.
https://twitter.com/imagine/status/2113712964419063911
YouTube videos could soon look better without eating quite so much data, right? Thankfully, the platform plans to introduce a new video format called AV2 on its web player in early 2027, promising more efficient streaming and potentially fewer playback hiccups on slower internet connections. The big headline is a roughly 30% improvement in compression efficiency over AV1, YouTube's existing video format. That doesn't guarantee every video will use 30% less data, but it could make streaming a little easier on both internet connections and data allowances.
What is AV2, and why should viewers care?
YouTube is changing how its Home page works, giving viewers more control over what shows up there and making some of the app’s most-used sections easier to reach. Custom Feeds are now replacing the existing topic chips for eligible users, while YouTube is also testing a redesigned top bar on mobile that moves Subscriptions closer to the Home feed.
YouTube first started experimenting with Custom Feeds earlier this year, letting you type out what you wanted to watch and turning that request into its own stream of recommendations. Now, the feature is starting to look less like a side experiment and more like something YouTube actually wants people to use as part of their everyday Home page.