A newly-released piece of Marvel Cinematic Universe concept art features Mad Mikkelsen as the villainous dark elf Malekith the Accursed, the primary antagonist of 2013's Thor: The Dark World.
According to artist Charlie Wen, Mikkelsen was up for the role of Malekith at one point during The Dark World's development. While the piece imagines the Danish actor with pale skin, pointy ears, white eyes, and elvish armor, the role ultimately went to former Doctor Who star Christopher Eccleston.
Although he didn't get that role, Mikkelsen did eventually find his way into the MCU, appearing in 2016's Doctor Strange as the villainous Master of the Mystic Arts known as Kaecilius, who leads a band of zealots in an attempt to contact the extra-dimensional being Dormammu.
While Malekith wasn't the most celebrated villain in the MCU, he's currently playing a major role in the ongoing War of the Realms crossover, where his mystical forces are invading the Marvel Universe.
Mikkelsen rose to prominence as an actor in 2004, garnering recognition for his part in King Arthur before achieving even more widespread success thanks to his role in 2006's Casino Royale.
More recently, the actor has starred in such films as Polar, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and the aforementioned Doctor Strange. Although, Mikkelsen is perhaps best known for his role as the iconic character of Hannibal Lecter in NBC's 2013-2015 television series Hannibal.