“It was kind of humiliating”: Mads Mikkelsen Dropped Out of $333M Marvel Movie After He Was Disrespected at the Audition Despite Coming Back for Doctor Strange

The glamorous cup of Hollywood is always filled to the brim with stories of fame and success. But more often than not, it’s always the most renowned stars that also happen to have either the most horrifying or the most memorable tales of their glory days. And Mads Mikkelsen is one of them.
Mads Mikkelsen
Famous for playing the role of the deranged cannibal in NBC’s Hannibal, Mikkelsen is a prominent figure in the film industry with innumerable awards and accomplishments. But the road to all of his victories wasn’t easy, as these things always go. And in his case, the obstacles came in the form of losing a grip on confidence and rejecting a multi-million dollar Marvel movie to preserve his self-respect.

Why Mads Mikkelsen Walked Out of a Marvel Movie Audition

Before entering the MCU as the supervillain Kaecilius in Scott Derrickson’s Doctor Strange, Mads Mikkelsen had also auditioned for the role of Mr. Fantastic in 2005’s Fantastic Four. Unfortunately, the 57-year-old actor felt too humiliated by the way he was treated on set to actually go ahead with the audition.

In an interview with Vulture, Mikkelsen recalled how that was one of those moments where he realized he could “completely lose [his] confidence as an actor.”

Mads Mikkelsen auditioned for the role of Mr. Fantastic in Fantastic Four
“I know a lot of casting is just first impressions — is there anything there that reminds the producer and the director of the character they’re looking for? But I find it rude to ask people to come into a room and say one line while pretending you have 80-foot arms like the rubber man. ‘Grab that cup of coffee over there.’ It’s like, ‘Are you crazy? There’s not even a scene here.’ It was kind of humiliating.”
The Casino Royale actor didn’t even hesitate to drop a $333 million film when that happened, and Mikkelsen’s good pal, Ioan Gruffudd became Reed Richards instead.

Doctor Strange Was Mads Mikkelsen’s Fresh Start With Marvel

After the Fantastic Four fiasco, the award-winning star ended up feeling grim and vulnerable, as he’d himself remarked. But with time, Mikkelsen let go of that and turned a fresh page with Marvel after he bagged a role in 2016’s Doctor Strange. Portraying a former member of the Masters of the Mystic Arts named Kaecilius, Mikkelsen played the part of Stephen Strange’s enemy in the movie.

Mads Mikkelsen as Kaecilius in Doctor Strange (2016)
That wasn’t the only time he played the antagonist on screen. In fact, The Hunt star is known for stepping into villainous roles every now and then. From Le Chiffre who’s out to kill James Bond and a serial killer named Hannibal to a dark wizard called Grindelwald, the man has done it all.