For fans of Doctor Strange, the magic is already in the air as filming continues around the globe. In order to further promote their cinematic universe and give newcomers a taste of the past, Marvel will unveil their Phase Two Collection boxed set tomorrow. The 13 disc-set, which features a cool replica orb from Guardians of the Galaxy and six Phase Two films stretching back to Iron Man 3, also offers teasers about the upcoming Phase Three projects.
One of the featurettes includes producer Kevin Feige and director Scott Derrickson as they explore the nuances of Doctor Strange, which Derrickson refers to as “a mind-trip action film.”
In the short segment released to USA Today, Feige and Derrickson also reveal the importance of having a strong, multifaceted actor for the role, explaining that Cumberbatch’s “incredibly complicated emotional structure” is vital to the titular hero. Feige and executive producer Stephen Broussard (Iron Man 3) describe the story as an ideal blend of magical elements and impressive visuals. Feige also elaborates on the difficulties of integrating Strange’s unique abilities into the MCU:
“How do you put that on a screen within this cinematic universe? That is one of the primary goals of that movie.”
Since filming began this past November, at locations including London, New York, and Nepal, Feige and crew have likely solved many of the challenges around adapting Stephen Strange to Marvel’s pantheon of film heroes. Starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Rachel McAdams, and Mads Mikkelson, among others, Doctor Strange will focus on the backstory of Stephen Vincent Strange, including his transformation from egotistical super-surgeon to spiritual superhero. It will also open up a can of magical worms within the MCU, in a good way.
Introducing Doctor Strange could likely be a key component for the further expansion of the Marvel’s vision. Involving esoteric concepts like magic and the astral plane, along with Ant Man’s quantum realm offers additional means for bringing characters in and out of the different folds of the MCU. The film’s mysticism could also allow Strange and other heroes to weave in and out of the large and smaller screen realms, possibly even setting up the massive superhero convergence in Avengers: Infinity Wars.
However, Multiverse-rending potentials aside, Doctor Strange needs to focus on giving the master of mysticism an appropriate entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With a strong cast, good inter-Marvel connectivity, and a fine director, the film already promises to be an amusing tour-de-force. So it would be a shame to see such a fun character fall short, especially considering what could have been.
Captain America: Civil War will release on May 6, 2016, followed by Doctor Strange – November 4, 2016; Guardians of the Galaxy 2 – May 5, 2017; Spider-Man – July 28, 2017; Thor: Ragnarok – November 3, 2017; Black Panther – February 16, 2018; The Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 – May 4, 2018; Ant-Man and the Wasp – July 6, 2018; Captain Marvel – March 8, 2019; The Avengers: Infinity War Part 2 – May 3, 2019; Inhumans – July 12, 2019; and as-yet untitled Marvel movies on May 1, July 10 and November 6, 2020.
Source: USA Today
