Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams and Mads Mikkelsen
Directed By: Scott Derrickson
Release Date: November 4, 2016
Marvel is known to never disappoint fans with the multiple movies that are released every year especially with the cinematic debuts of new superheroes. Doctor Strange enters the Marvel Cinematic Universe with humor, mysticism and, of course, action. The film is different from other Marvel movies since the featured superhero is a sorcerer. But along with the other debut films such as Ant-Man, Guardians of the Galaxy and Deadpool, Doctor Strange brought in a whopping $85 million worldwide during its opening weekend.
The film begins showing Dr. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) before he becomes the Sorcerer Supreme. Strange is an arrogant, charismatic neurosurgeon who is slowly learning humility and works alongside his love interest, Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams). Nearly crippling his hands in a horrendous car accident and not being able to find someone able to heal is what drives him to explore a small village in the Himalayan Mountains to find reconciliation. Strange is then befriended by Baron Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and taken to a woman called The Ancient One (Tilda Swinton) who is willing to teach him about becoming the next Sorcerer Supreme.
Strange slowly loses his sense of arrogance and selfishness as he learns various skills and spells to help stop a new mystical threat from harming the Earth. The main antagonist is named Kaecilius (Mads Mikkelsen), who is a spawn of a spiritual entity attempting to take over the Earth named Dormammu, that Doctor Strange, Mordo and Wong (Benedict Wong) must stop. Strange only gets more powerful as he learns about altering reality, travelling to parallel dimensions and altering time. Not only that, but he also gains the use of the iconic Cloak of Levitation that he wears in the comics.
Doctor Strange redeems himself after The Ancient One dies and when he uses an Infinity stone to save the world from the notorious Dormammu and Kaecilius. Just like every other Marvel movie, the after credits tease another upcoming film. In this one we see Strange agreeing to help Thor find Odin who is somewhere hiding on Earth. So, we know for a fact that we have not seen the last of Doctor Strange. A sequel will be planned and Cumberbatch has a contract to appear in multiple Marvel movies other than his own. He will return in Avengers: Infinity Wars. Not only did this movie become one of Marvel’s best films but it became one of the best films of 2016. Doctor Strange receives 8 stars out of 10 stars.