Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness saw the return of some fan-favorite characters, and in the trailers, it looked like one of those returnees would be Chiwetel Ejiofor’s Baron Mordo. While the actor did appear in the movie, it was as an alternative universe’s version of Mordo, one who is Sorcerer Supreme and part of the Illuminati. This is a long way from the MCU’s version of the character, who was last seen in the post-credit scene of 2016’s Doctor Strange beginning a mission to rid the world of sorcerers. A new rumor suggests that Baron Mordo was originally set to feature in the movie’s opening to close the circle on that storyline.
YouTuber Heavy Spoilers has suggested that Multiverse of Madness originally had a much different opening planned, one that saw Mordo being the one to approach Wanda on her conjured farm before Stephen Strange. In the scene, Mordo was planning to dispatch Wanda as part of his crusade to rid the world of Magic, but it didn’t end well for the Master of the Mystic Arts. In a recent video, it was explained:
"If you cast your mind back to the end of Doctor Strange, then you'll remember that the post-credits scene had him going on a quest to kill the Wizarding World worse than Fantastic Beasts did. In Multiverse of Madness, Strange even mentions how Mordo has been trying to kill him when he meets the Illuminati version. But, this is something that we've never seen and it's definitely not something that he would really know about as Mordo never really said anything along those lines at their last meeting. Now Mordo was going to be the main villain that showed up in the introduction to the movie and he'd be used to demonstrate Wanda's new ruthless attitude. He would go to attack her and she'd turn him into mom's spaghetti, beheading him within seconds of his arrival. It was going to be a big way to start the film and it instantly cemented Wanda as the villain."
Baron Mordo Could Return in Doctor Strange 3
Currently, this scenario is still classed as a rumor, and will likely stay so unless something shows up on the home release of Doctor Strange. It is easy to believe that this could have once been part of the Multiverse of Madness storyline, but most likely in the early stages of the movie’s development rather than anything actually shot. With Marvel Studios very rarely leaving loose ends hanging forever, that could well mean we will see Mordo return in Doctor Strange 3 to finish his storyline.
What makes it more interesting is that the alternative version of Mordo seen in Multiverse of Madness is the only member of the Illuminati not to be slaughtered by Scarlet Witch, once again leaving the character with an open-ended storyline. Whether this is another sign that there is a bigger plan for Mordo down the line, which would explain why Earth-616’s version didn’t appear in the film, or all just coincidental, is something fans will have a few years to discuss while they wait for the next Doctor Strange film to arrive.