Dormammu's Powers In The MCU Explained

Phase 3 was a magical era in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that put several new heroes at the forefront. Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) and Spider-Man (Tom Holland) secured their solo movies following debuts in "Captain America: Civil War," and Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) did the same in prequel form later on. The character that kicked off this trend, though, was Doctor Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), whose formal MCU introduction in 2016 took the series in a direction that no previous entry had dared approach.

On his journey to becoming the Sorcerer Supreme and the protector of the Sanctum Sanctorum, Strange's wizard training took an unexpected twist. His mentor, the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton), was killed by the villainous Kaecilius (Mads Mikkelsen) and his henchmen — prompting the upstart magic-user to step up and face down the most dangerous individuals he'd ever encountered. As one would imagine, he overcame whatever reality-warping obstacles Kaecilius had to throw at him, but little did the former surgeon realize, his biggest challenge was yet to come.

It's established in "Doctor Strange" that Kaecilius' evil schemes weren't entirely his own, and he was working under an even larger evil: Dormammu. Much like his underlings, this cosmic threat wasn't able to defeat Strange either, but he didn't make his opponent's victory easy. Here are the powers Dormammu possesses and what they mean in the grand scheme of the MCU.

Dormammu is one of the most fearsome and powerful entities in the MCU and Marvel universe at large. At his core, he's a conqueror who oversees the Dark Dimension — a corner of the multiverse that he rules with an iron fist and continually absorbs new worlds into. As its owner, he can control, manipulate, and shape it to fit his needs, such as crushing Doctor Strange over and over again to the point of annoyance. Additionally, he can bestow its powers onto others, such as Kaecilius and his allies, turning them into beings known as Mindless Ones should he so choose.

It's also important to note that the Dark Dimension is a locale that exists outside the laws of time, hence why Strange was able to use the Time Stone and repeatedly thwart Dormammu's attempts to kill him. On the flip side, this region grants Dormammu immortal life as a result of its timelessness, explaining why the Ancient One referred to him as a creature that predates time itself. Although, given the recent timeline-shifting shenanigans of Disney+ originals "WandaVision" and "Loki," one has to wonder if his plans have been altered and his concept of reality shaken.

To put it mildly, there are few more truly frightening presences in the MCU today than Dormammu. Since he didn't meet his demise by the end of "Doctor Strange," it stands to reason we'll hear from him again soon, for better or worse. Could he reemerge in "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness," or will he pop up elsewhere in Phase 4 and beyond? We'll just have to stay tuned.