Doctor Strange Writer on Why Nightmare Wasn’t the Villain of MCU Movie

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C. Robert Cargill, a writer for *Doctor Strange*, recently shared the reason why Nightmare wasn’t the main villain in the movie starring Benedict Cumberbatch.

Doctor Strange, a Marvel Studios film, came out in US cinemas in 2016. Scott Derrickson directed the movie, which features Benedict Cumberbatch as Dr. Stephen Strange, alongside Chiwetel Ejiofor as Karl Mordo, and Benedict Wong as Wong.

What did C. Robert Cargill say about Doctor Strange and Nightmare?

Originally, the primary villain in Doctor Strange wasn’t Kaecilius, played by Mads Mikkelsen, but Nightmare. According to writer C. Robert Cargill, speaking with The Direct, plans changed, and Nightmare wasn’t used as the main antagonist.

He explained they originally intended Nightmare to be the main villain in the first movie. Marvel liked the concept, but felt the character was better suited for a sequel.

Scott and I are fascinated by alternate realities and the strange logic of dreams, especially exploring the depths of the subconscious. We had some ideas for the first movie about a dream world and Doctor Strange fighting a villain who controls reality through dreams, and we wanted to develop those concepts further in the second film. We were really focused on playing with that kind of surreal, dreamlike atmosphere.

I wasn’t involved with *Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness* because I hadn’t joined the project yet when Scott Derrickson left. I really like the character Nightmare, though, and I hope they explore him in a future movie. I’d be thrilled to write a Nightmare story for them if they ever wanted me to.

You can now watch both Doctor Strange and its 2022 sequel, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, on Disney+.

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2025-09-25 00:06