Some of the best films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe are origin stories. OG heroes like Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor all got strong introductions that launched their future Avenger status, and it’s a narrative framework that’s still paying strong dividends in films like Shang Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings. And then there’s Doctor Strange. Despite a positive critical and commercial reception – it has an 89% Rotten Tomatoes rating and took $677 million at the global box office – it almost never comes up in conversations about the franchise’s best origin stories, nor does it tend to worry many people’s list of greatest MCU movies. Rather, there’s a sentiment that Strange only came into his own once he levelled up and interacted with other heroes in Thor: Ragnarok and Avengers: Infinity War. However, a closer look reveals that, rather than a middling entry in the canon, Doctor Strange is the most egregiously overlooked film in the MCU – a visually bombastic and morally complex character study that feels a little more radical with each and every rewatch.
Where most Marvel movies have weighty two-hour-plus runtimes Doctor Strange is economical in its storytelling, clocking in at a taut 115 minutes. Scott Derrickson, C. Robert Cargill, and Jon Spaihts’ deft screenplay introduces many of its key characters and concepts swiftly; by the 25-minute mark, Stephen Strange – an arrogant but brilliant surgeon whose hands are mangled in a car accident – has already made it to Kamar Taj in search of a way to heal himself and reclaim his old life.
A surface-level reading might say that Strange’s origin is the same as Tony Stark’s, but with magic instead of mechanics. They both have genius-level intellects and massive egos. They both suffer life-altering injuries. They both choose the path of heroism after the deaths of their mentors. And, most importantly, they both sport impeccable facial hair. But if one were to open their third eye and look a little deeper, you would see that there’s a great deal more going on here. For all his arrogance, Tony is never unlikeable in Iron Man. For the vast majority of Doctor Strange, the audience rightfully thinks the movie’s hero is a selfish arsehole – a daring choice that can’t be said of any other MCU movie to date. Benedict Cumberbatch nails his character’s coldness and self-importance, slowly bringing Strange’s humanity to the fore through the course of the film before turning fully-fledged hero in the final act.
One aspect of Doctor Strange that has always been lauded is its visuals, and rightfully so. Derrickson and co. introduce magic into the MCU in a way that’s both easy to follow and aesthetically pleasing – opening with a spectacular, gravity-defying mystical battle on the side of building, and then upping the ocular ante as the film progresses. Sorcerers bend reality to their will, turning cityscapes into fractal displays that fold and bend as required; Strange goes on a trip through the astral plane in a dizzying head-trip that bounces him between vibrantly-rendered dimensions; Strange and Kaecilius (Mads Mikkelsen) do battle while time reverses around them, a demolished street slowly reassembling itself as they duel. To paraphrase Tilda Swinton’s Ancient One, it isn’t something we’d seen before in a gift shop – nor is it something we’d ever before witnessed in the MCU.
There’s no simple, black-and-white narrative here. _Doctor Strange_ is a film about what we’re willing to compromise. It operates in the grey.
On the subject of Swinton, we should address the elephant in the room: her casting as the Ancient One is problematic. and in the time since the film was released, both director Scott Derrickson and Kevin Feige have gone on the record saying as much. But it’s also true that Swinton is excellent in the role, radiating a quiet power as she delivers sage wisdom, even as it’s revealed that she’s not all she appears to be.
In fact, many of the supporting characters are complex and interesting in their own right. The Ancient One’s big secret – that she draws power from the Dark Dimension to prolong her own life – and the varying ways in which Strange, Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and Kaecilius react to it is one of the screenplay’s best achievements. While Marvel villains are sometimes accused of being weak, Kaecilius is far from it. When he calls the Ancient One a “hypocrite” in the first scene of the movie, he is 100% right, and it makes sense that he would seek out a new leader in Dormammu, who promises the eternal life his former master hoarded for herself. That he’s a mirror image of sorts to Strange – whose “just another tiny, momentary speck within an indifferent universe” line is thrown back at him by Kaecilius mid-movie – only emphasises the similar paths they were once on, and Mikkelsen’s performance (aided by some superb eye makeup) is as riveting as ever. (I highly recommend seeking out the excellent Doctor Strange prelude comic ‘The Zealot’ for further context on Kaecilius’ motivations, which the movie admittedly could have used more of).
Strange and Kaecilius are not the only ones who believe they’re the heroes of this story. Mordo is another character who has had his entire worldview shattered by the Ancient One’s revelation. A stickler for the rules, he cannot comprehend that the mentor he’s been blindly following for years has been defying them so casually. He’d rather die on his sword than break the laws of nature for the greater good, as Strange and the Ancient One do. You don’t blame him for leaving at the end of the movie because – as we’re about to be reminded in Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness – “the bill comes due.” And just like Strange and Kaecilius, he too has a point. There’s no simple, black-and-white narrative here. Doctor Strange is a film about what we’re willing to compromise. It operates in the grey.
All of this culminates in one of the very best finales in the MCU. This time the focus isn’t on explosions and fisticuffs, but innovation and cleverness, as Strange confronts Dormammu (also voiced by Cumberbatch) and traps him in an endless loop to save the universe. That Strange has to die over and over and over again in the process underlines his shift from selfishness to selflessness. Going toe-to-mystical-toe with Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War is Strange at his coolest, but this remains his finest MCU moment to date.
There’s a lot more to be said about the excellence of Doctor Strange: his costume is one of the MCU’s greatest, and the Cloak of Levitation is a scene-stealer; Michael Giacchino’s score works a treat in this film and is an equally rewarding listen on its lonesome; The Ancient One’s farewell is a gut-punch that also has beauty to spare. Even Strange’s reaction to taking a life for the first time as he fights against Scott Adkins’ acolyte on the Astral Plane – another creative sequence that switches things up nicely – feels notable in a universe that has often been cavalier with the notion of death.
The chapters that have since been added to Strange’s story have seen him significantly up his sorcery game while continuing to lean into his arrogance, leading to actions that have both endangered and saved the universe. And now, with multiple versions of himself to contend with in Multiverse Of Madness, we’re getting a dose of much-needed introspection, delving into the consequences of those actions. But none of this would work nearly as well without the building blocks that Derrickson skilfully established back in 2016. So take some time and revisit Doctor Strange — it might well rise up your MCU rankings. Because if you ask me, the sorcerer’s origin reigns supreme.