Chiwetel Ejiofor returning for 'Doctor Strange 2'

Chiwetel Ejiofor is returning as Karl Mordo for 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

Talking to Screen Rant about his role in new Netflix film The Old Guard, British actor Ejiofor confirmed he would be reprising the part for the sequel to 2016’s Marvel movie Doctor Strange.

“We're hoping to start pretty soon is what I can tell you,” the 42-year-old star said. “So, you know, as soon as possible. We're all really excited to get going and to get cracking with it. I can't wait.”

In Scott Derrickson’s origin film, Mordo’s portrayal deviated from the comics, in that he was Stephen Strange’s ally and mentor. In the comics, he’s Baron Mordo – one of Strange’s main adversaries – but the ending of the 2016 film showed the character turning to the dark side and renouncing his life as a sorcerer, setting up a confrontation with Benedict Cumberbatch’s Sorcerer Supreme in future movies.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is currently slated for release on 25 March, 2022, with Spider-Man director Sam Raimi taking over from Derrickson who left the project over “creative differences”. Benedict Cumberbatch is set to return as Doctor Strange for his first big screen outing since the climactic events of Avengers: Endgame.

Read more: Cumberbatch getting star on the Walk of Fame

Elizabeth Olsen will play a key role in the film reprising her MCU role of Wanda Maximoff AKA Scarlet Witch, with her Disney+ show WandaVision reportedly tying into the events of the Doctor Strange sequel.

Rachel McAdams, who played Dr. Christine Palmer in the first film, is not thought to be returning.

In July Chiwetel Ejiofor will be reading a short story as part of Yahoo’s Stor14s podcast series. His episode ‘Matty Hides In Midgeton’ and is out 9 July.