Now that NBC's HANNIBAL is done (?), Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen's schedule is clear and he is free to do anything he wants. As we all know, he has been confirmed for roles in both Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Marvel's Doctor Strange. In a recent interview with Collider, Mads Mikkelsen talked about his roles or at least as much as he could. When asked about joining the Star Wars universe and whether or not it was surreal to be in such a film he had this to say, "Not really. It doesn’t feel that weird or surprising, at all. For most actors, it is part of our jobs. We know it exists. We also know what a film set looks like, what we build, and what’s the cheating part and what’s not the cheating part. The big starstruck thing for a lot of actors is when they meet something that they’re not a part of, like a soccer player or a basketball player. That becomes unreal to us because that’s not our job. Having said that, you also have to lean back, once in awhile, when you come to an amazing, big set like the Star Wars films, for instance. You have to lean back and enjoy being 15 years old, for at least a couple of minutes, and then start working after that. If you can’t enjoy the magnitude of some of these things, it’s sad." He was also asked as to whether he was new to the Star Wars franchise and if he enjoyed the films as a child. "I’m one of the new ones to the whole franchise. But it’s so big that you can’t avoid it, even if you don’t watch the films non-stop, because everybody else is talking about it. So, I knew a fair bit, but not as much as the ones that are dedicated." Mikkelsen was also asked if he could give a tease or any information in general about his character for Rogue One. "I’m sworn [to secrecy]. There is nothing I can tell you, even though I would love to."
Not only is Mads Mikkelsen working on Rogue One, but he is also working on the highly-anticipated Marvel film Doctor Strange with Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, and Tilda Swinton. When it came to talking about Doctor Strange, Mikkelsen was asked what he knew about his role prior to being cast and if he wanted to be part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. "The director, Scott [Derrickson] pitched it to me. We had a nice meeting. It’s still one of those crazy secret things, but he definitely pitched it to me, which was nice. It should be like that. Actors are very good at not revealing anything, so they’re safe." When asked about what drew him to the role and what appealed to him most, Mads finished by saying this, "If I do say what it was, then I’ll be revealing something. But, the cast is quite amazing. I can’t wait to start working with these guys. I’ve only done rehearsals, so far. One of these days, I’ll have my first shooting day. But, it looks like it’s off to a good start." What do you think? Are you excited to see Mads Mikkelsen on the big screen for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Doctor Strange?