With the release of Doctor Strange now only a few days away, moviegoers in North America are on the verge of basking in the aura of Benedict Cumberbatch’s Sorcerer Supreme. Yes, the Marvel tentpole welcomes the latest addition to the MCU in mind-bending fashion, and the studio has filled out Scott Derrickson’s psychedelic release with an entourage of Hollywood talent.
Among those on board is Mads Mikkelsen, though the Danish actor has actually lined up two blockbusters in as many months. Doctor Strange is the first, of course, but with Rogue One: A Star Wars Story also looming on the horizon, viewers are primed for a double helping of Mikkelsen – no bad thing, by any stretch of the imagination. He’ll play the role of Galen Erso in the Gareth Edwards anthology movie, who becomes entangled with the Empire over construction on the Death Star.
It’s a fairly crucial role, too, as Mikkelsen’s character is the father of Jyn Erso, the Rogue One heroine to be played by Felicity Jones. Little else is know beyond those facts – such is the Star Wars way – and during an interview with The Playlist, Mikkelsen touched base on the “extreme” level of secrecy that’s engulfed the hotly-anticipated December release.
“For a long time I was fearing ‘Star Wars’ more because it was extreme, the secrecy level,” Mikkelsen admits. “And so was this one as well, but at that point I was used to it.”
“I’m touching all these storm trooper helmets and we’re walking around with all these secrecy capes on, but aren’t we always dressed like this in the film? What’s the secret? Yeah, it’s something you have to respect because they want to leak it when they leak and you have to respect it but it’s a little tricky because it’s fun to be part of.”
Rogue One shoots for theaters on December 16.