Indiana Jones’ Mads Mikkelsen Prefers Playing “Loser” Characters

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny arrived in theaters this past weekend, adding yet another interesting entry to the filmography of Mads Mikkelsen. The beloved actor portrays the Nazi scientist Dr. Jürgen Voller in Dial of Destiny, after already playing villainous roles like Hannibal Lecter in Hannibal, Kaecilius in Doctor Strange, and Gellert Grindelwald in the Harry Potter universe. According to Mikkelsen, usually being associated with bad guy roles isn’t necessarily a bad thing for him. In a recent interview with GQ, Mikkelsen argued that he is much more fond of playing characters who are “losers”, as opposed to ones who are more conventionally appealing. 

“To combine it — to do something real and also be a cutie pie — I don’t really find it interesting,” Mikkelsen revealed in the inteerview. “I’m not into the ‘hair falling in your eyes, be cute in a corner.’ Not me. The losers are fun. Because we know them. You might have been in that situation yourself sometimes.”

“If there’s nothing else, I’ll definitely do this, because it’s fun,” Mikkelsen said of playing villains. “And then I can do whatever I want back in Europe.”

Who Does Mads Mikkelsen Play in Indiana Jones 5?

Mikkelsen steps into the role of Dr. Jürgen Voller in Dial of Destiny, a villain whose quest for power is juxtaposed directly with the final adventure of Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford). As Mikkelsen told ComicBook.com, he essentially jumped at the opportunity to join the project and work alongside Dial of Destiny director James Mangold.

“My first Nazi,” Mikkelsen joked to ComicBook.com when asked about playing the villain in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. “It was due. No, I mean, it’s wrapping up this franchise, it’s wrapping up the beautiful journey of Harrison and Indiana Jones, and the script was just so beautiful and so touching, so that helped a lot. But he could have said, ‘Indiana Jones, Nazi,’ and I would’ve said, ‘Yes.’”

What Is Indiana Jones 5 about?

The iconic Harrison Ford returned for one last adventure as Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny premiered in theaters on June 30th. Lucasfilm’s latest film in the long-running franchise sees Dr. Jones team up with his goddaughter Helena Shaw (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) in a race against nefarious forces to secure a powerful artifact. The duo will go up against the mysterious former Nazi-turned-NASA scientist Jürgen Voller (Mads Mikkelsen), and the film also features stars Boyd Holbrook, Antonio Banderas, Toby Jones, and John Rhys Davies. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is directed by James Mangold and is Ford’s final appearance as the iconic archeologist.

What do you think of Mads Mikkelsen’s comments about portraying characters who are “losers”? What role you like to see him play next? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is now playing exclusively in theaters.