Who Is Dormammu? Denzel Washington’s Rumored Doctor Strange Character, Explained

Marvel Comics has many incredible villains, like Doctor Doom, Magneto, Thanos, Kang the Conqueror, and the Green Goblin. Yet these characters are mere mortals to the otherworldy cosmic and supernatural horrors in the Marvel Universe, ones that are massive in scale and have existed for eons, from the world-devouring Galactus to the god of symbiotes Knull and the demonic entity Mephisto. One of these foes is Dormammu, an interdimensional demon that is one of Doctor Strange’s most powerful recurring foes.

Fans got a glimpse of Dormammu in 2016’s Doctor Strange. He was the cosmic villain that Kaecilius (Mads Mikkelsen) was working for and who Doctor Strange confronted with the time stone. While he was seemingly defeated, this ancient villain is rumored to be the main villain in Doctor Strange 3. WhileDoctor Strangeactor Benedict Cumberbatch did the motion capture and voice work for Dormammu’s one scene in the first film, rumors have circulated that Marvel is looking at Academy Award winner Denzel Washington to play the character in the third film. Here is everything to know about Dormmamu and why Marvel might be looking to bring the villain back.

Dormammu’s Comic Book Origins

Stan Lee and Steve Ditko created Dormammu, and he first debuted in Strange Tales #126 in November 1964. Dormammu is the ruler of the Dark Dimension, and the seeds for his inclusion had been planted earlier as a faceless entity behind Baron Karl Mordo’s attempt to usurp the Ancient One. Dormammu is a villain with close ties to Doctor Strange. He is the uncle of Clea, Doctor Strange’s long-time love interest, who is a sorceress from the Dark Dimension. He is the brother of fellow Doctor Strange villain and mother to Clea, Umar.

Dormmamu is a member of a race of creatures known as the Faltine. He and his sister are not native to the Dark Dimension but were exiled there. Dormammu’s signature flaming skull is a result of having merged with the local “Flames of Regency” in the Dark Dimension, enhancing his powers. In terms of power levels, Dormammu is a multiverse-level threat. He has a wide array of powers, including immortality, energy projection, altering his size, and teleportation. He can also give some of his power to another and can even resurrect the dead due to his ability to manipulate reality. Dormammu also controls an army of creatures known as the Mindless Ones. With a vast array of powers, an army at his disposal, and control over an entire dimension, Dormammu is a cosmic horror greater than any demon.

In Doctor Strange and Dormammu’s first battle in the comics, the ruler of the Dark Dimension overpowers Strange in combat, but in doing so, he draws from the powers of his dimension, which weakens their defense. Doctor Strange helped Dormammu defeat a horde of Mindless Ones from entering and taking over his Dark Dimension, and in return, Doctor Strange made Dormammu swear he would not invade or threaten Earth. While Dormammu agreed, he resented that Doctor Strange bested him.

If that sounds familiar, it is because it has a lot in common with Doctor Strange and Dormammu’s encounter in the film Doctor Strange. Fans will remember that Strange was able to defeat Dormammu by using the Time Stone to trap the two in an endless cycle that was destined to repeat, of Dormammu killing Strange but never being able to escape. Doctor Strange famously said, “Dormammu, I’ve come to bargain.” Doctor Strange told Dormammu he would release the demon from the spell in exchange for Dormammu’s assault on Earth to stop and for him to never return. Dormammu reluctantly agrees.

Could Dormammu Return to the MCU?

In the comics, Dormammu found a loophole to continue his attack on Earth by employing and manipulating others to do his bidding for him. While the deal binds him, that doesn’t mean he can’t have others do his work. Baron Mordo is Dormammu’s foremost disciple in the comics, and in Spider-Man: The Animated Series, he even had Venom and Carnage working for him. He could do the same in the MCU, possibly paying off Baron Mordo’s villainous turn in the end credits of Doctor Strange. However, the MCU might not have Dormammu attack Earth; instead, Doctor Strange needs to return to the Dark Dimension set up in 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness‘smid-credit scene ends with Clea (Charlize Theron) confronting Doctor Strange. She says that his actions resulted in an incursion and demands that he go with her to help fix it. Doctor Strange agrees, and when Clea opens a portal, fans recognize the background as The Dark Dimension from the first Doctor Strange. Doctor Strange will return to the Dark Dimension and might need to come face-to-face with Dormmamu again.

What does this tell us potentially about Doctor Strange 3? Seemingly, incursions are destroying the Dark Dimension, and now either Dormmamu has recruited Strange to fix it or is looking for revenge and will attack Earth, as Strange’s actions might make their previous deal null and void. With Dormammu and Clea now on the table, it also means that Doctor Strange 3 will most likely introduce the villain Umar. Umar, being Dormammu’s sister and Clea’s mother, would provide a new wrinkle to the complex dynamic between these characters. It is already confirmed that Clea is Doctor Strange’s new love interest moving forward, so even in this interdimensional world-ending adventure, there will be some family complications.

Is Denzel Washington Joining the MCU?

As of this moment, there is no confirmation of Doctor Strange 3 or that Denzel Washington has joined the cast, and as such, it should be treated as just rumors. However, a Doctor Strange 3 is likely since Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness made $955 million at the worldwide box office. While the Marvel Cinematic Universe has attracted some of the most respected names in film, including Robert Redford, Michelle Pfeiffer, Glenn Close, Michael Douglas, and recently Harrison Ford, getting a name like Denzel Washington would be an incredible win for the studio. Washington is one of the most respected and acclaimed actors of all time, and though his name has been floated in the past for superhero projects like Sinister Six, he has never been part of one.

If Marvel Studios could land Denzel Washington to play a villain like Dormammu in the MCU, specifically Doctor Strange 3, it would be a major win for the studio. While Washington is best known for playing heroic characters and men of integrity, he also excels in villainous performances, as seen in his Academy Award-winning performance in Training Day. Washington would lend a sense of weight and credibility to Dormmamu as a villain and make for one incredible scene partner for Benedict Cumberbatch.

The question remains: Why would Marvel hire an actor as accomplished as Washinton to play a villain who previously appeared in the MCU instead of a new villain? And if they would have cast him as a previous villain, why not have him take over as Kang the Conqueror? Nobody would have minded Washington playing Kang. Marvel Studios seemingly found a suitable replacement for Kang with Doctor Doom, but they also seemingly might have set up Dormammu to play a big part in the MCU’s future.

How Dormammu Might Be Important to the Future of the Multiverse Saga

With Doctor Strange 3 rumored to bring back Dormammu, the demonic entity might have a big role in the MCU’s future in terms of the Multiverse Saga. There are a few projects that we can rule Dormammu out of right now. Ironheart has swapped out Dormammu’s ties to the magical artifact for Mephisto, who is rumored to be played by Sacha Baron Cohen in the upcoming MCU series. The same also goes for Agatha All Along. While Dormammu does have connections in the comics to Agatha Harkness and her son Nicolas Scratch, Agatha All Along will likely feature Mephisto, given the series name-dropped the character.

However, Mephisto’s inclusion in the MCU might also hint at what the MCU has planned for Dormammu. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness established that threats of incursions are growing and now threatening a dimension as vast and powerful as the Dark Dimension. This suggests that even someone as powerful as Dormammu is seemingly powerless to stop and could force him to either flee his crumbling world or attempt to fight back against the incursion at the cost of other worlds.

This might draw otherworldly cosmic conquerors like Dormammu, Mephisto, and the recently confirmed Galactus in The Fantastic Four: First Steps into war with one another, all while ignoring the looming threat of Doctor Doom that awaits them. It would be a powerful statement for these godlike forces to destroy one another, leaving a mortal human like Doctor Doom in the position of becoming a god and making these ancient powers work for him on Battleworld.

Even if Dormammu does not factor into the Multiverse Saga, it is smart for Marvel Studios to possibly lay the groundwork to revisit the villain in the future. A villain as powerful as Dormammu being defeated in the first Doctor Strange movie feels like a waste. Yet now, if they cast Denzel Washington, Dormammu could return as a villain for whatever comes after Avengers: Secret Wars. He could be a worthy foe to unite a new team of Avengers, the Young Avengers, The Fantastic Four, the X-Men, or the Midnight Suns.