Did This 'Doctor Strange' Easter Egg Set Up The Mindless Ones in the MCU?

In the run-up to Doctor Strange, Marvel seemed very proud of Mads Mikkelsen's Kaecilius. Unfortunately, although Mikkelsen excels in the role, first reviewers don't believe he's the solution to Marvel's long-standing 'villain problem'. That said, it's entirely possible that we'll see more of the fanatical sorcerer — well, after a fashion...

WARNING: Spoilers follow!

What Happened to Kaecilius in 'Doctor Strange'?

Kaecilius saw himself as something of a savior, attempting to bring the world into the Dark Dimension, thus conquering death and time. He longed to be integrated into the reality of Dormammu's rule, and he ultimately got his wish; Dormammu took the surviving Zealots into the Dark Dimension. In one devastatingly trippy scene (best seen in IMAX 3D), Kaecilius was transported into the infinite realm of the Dark Dimension — and was visibly transformed by the experience.

Comic book fans will have been thrilled at that transformation. You couldn't see it clearly, and that was entirely deliberate; for all Kaecilius's power, he was meaningless when compared to the horrific grandeur of the Dark Dimension. But you could see a telltale gleam of light, that suggested Kaecilius lost his identity completely.

He became what the comics call a Mindless One.

What Are The Mindless Ones?

In the comics, the Mindless Ones are a race of beings associated with the Dark Dimension. Physically powerful, and with thick hides that are resistant to pain and enable them to survive in almost any environments, the Mindless Ones lack an intelligence of their own. They're most often associated with Dormammu, who is able to influence their aimless rampages.

The Mindless Ones are one of Marvel's most fascinatingly dark concepts. There's something undeniably sinister about them; silent but brutal, the Mindless Ones swarm over their enemies, using their prodigious strength to tear even buildings apart. Wordless, thoughtless, and uncaring for their own fates, they simply serve Dormammu's will.

Visually, the Mindless Ones are simple; they are towering grey-black powerhouses with no faces, and with a single shimmering eye. This eye is used to project devastatingly powerful energy blasts, giving them a ranged attack in addition to their physical strength.

The MCU Version

If Kaecilius's fate is indeed to be transformed into a Mindless One, then it seems likely this is what happens to everyone absorbed into the Dark Dimension; they lose their individuality, they lose all sense of self, and are stripped of every identifiable feature. They are transformed into mindless beings who serve Dormammu, physical powerful brutes who act as his slaves — and would potentially be a deadly force, should a sorcerer ever step into the Dark Dimension.

It's certain that Dormammu's story in the MCU isn't over, so he'll inevitably come into conflict with Doctor Strange again in an inevitable sequel. If that sequel involves Doctor Strange entering the Dark Dimension, then it's possible he could come face-to-face with the Mindless Ones.

One of those Mindless Ones could well be Kaecilius. Here's the catch: not only would we never have any way of knowing it, Kaecilius would be beyond caring about Stephen Strange anyway. All sense of memory, or self, of personal identity would have been stripped from him during the transformation.

Perhaps we will see Kaecilius again. But we won't ever recognize him if we do.

There's a real irony to Kaecilius's fate. Believing he was saving the world, he was ultimately stripped of his very humanity. I'd say he's probably regretting his choices, but the reality is that he's no longer able to regret...