HOW strange Marvel unveils their latest flick full of mindbending visual effects and kick-ass action scenes this November. Doctor Strange sets itself apart from previous Marvel movies by introducing magic, lesser-known characters, and a distinct visual style. Benedict Cumberbatch is the creative spark that ignites this bracing new entry in the Marvel Cin- ematic Universe as he plays the lead of Doctor Strange. By K.M. McFarland discovery, not Strange—Rachel McAdams’ talents averting global feel wasted playing Strange’s love apocalypse. interest, and the movie fails the Even the third Bechdel Test in spectacular act’s climactic battle fashion. But the dominant fear tracks down Jonathan Bigger. Badder. Better. manages to edge for the universe’s Borg-like Pagborn (Benjamin One of the most enduring problems than a away from the expansion is how it will continue Bratt), a former in the MCU is its lack of benevolent usual MCU to add more characters to an paraplegic who compelling antagonists. Not only teacher; Mordo’s face- off formula, in a already crowded stable. Doctor advises him to seek out the Kamar- has overarching villain Thanos arc turns Ejiofor’s character from way that’s mind-bending without Strange has memorable, complex Taj in Kathmandu, Nepal. There, been stupendously ineffective rival to something more pleasingly completely overloading the characters and action sequences, he meets the Ancient One (Tilda at acquiring the Infinity Stones existential. Anyone familiar with audience. along with a visual style that sets it Swinton) and fellow student Karl he needs for his gauntlet, but Strange in the comics knows apart from the previous 13 Marvel Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor), the enemies in too many Marvel where this is heading, and it’s films. If its many team-up movies and learns of Kaecilius (Mads movies—Guardians of the great that something larger is start to sag under the weight of Mikkelsen), a fallen pupil who stole Galaxy, Iron-Man 3, even Captain Marvel in Phase 3 planned for Mordo—but we’ll The Marvel Cinematic Universe gratuitous crossovers, at least Strange Business pages from a spellbook and—big America: Civil War—faded from be damned if this movie couldn’t spent Phase One assembling the studio knows it can do origin The most notable thing bad alert—wants to memory soon have been improved even more the Avengers, and Phase Two stories right. about Doctor Strange isn’t its merge Earth with a “Imagine the best spell after the credits simply by swapping his role with creating a conflict between Iron dizzying visual effects or its being in the Dark rolled. There’s Cumberbatch. Having said that, Man and Captain America (and kaleidscopic action sequences; it’s Dimension in order fights from a Harry no such “Doctor Strange has we can’t say it’s not gratifying to their loyalists). Phase Three, how much time goes by before to gain eternal life. problem with the movie reminds you that it’s set Potter movie married with Mikkelsen as see Cumberbatch, sporting a which began with Civil War and memorable, complex Vincent Price goatee and oozing comprises 10 films over the next in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. If this all sounds Kaecilius, whose with arrogance, getting his ass three years, shoulders the dual Around halfway through its two overly complicated, the tessellating dream- eyes benefit from characters and action and brain handed to him by a bald burden of resolving the Infinity hour run time, a librarian (Benedict don’t worry: some of the best female monk, a black warrior, and Stone storyline while introducing Wong) tells surgeon-turned- Strange glosses architecture of Inception.” makeup work sequences, along with a an Asian librarian. audiences to dozens of characters sorcerer-in-training Stephen over the logic of these the MCU has who are far less Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) multiple dimensions, siding with seen. While he’s a composite of visual style that sets it But perhaps the “we can’t say it’s recognizable than that Strange’s fellow students aren’t action over exposition. Imagine the various characters from the comics, best aspect of Spider-Man. But just budding masters of arcana, best spell fights from a Harry Potter Mikkelsen is so domineering, apart.” Doctor Strange not gratifying to see after seeing how but a cosmic complement to the movie married with the tessellating so effortlessly sharp, that he’s is that for all of Strange only hints Avengers in defending the Earth dream-architecture of Inception, indelibly memorable despite clearly its talk of parallel Cumberbatch getting his ass at ties to the main against malevolent outsiders. It’s seasoned with the trippiness of the functioning as a one-and-done foes. dimensions— thread, it bodes the only time the big team gets Star Child sequence from 2001: Mirror, Dark, and brain handed to him well for how Ant- name-dropped. It bodes well A Space Odyssey. It’s one of the But like the best films in the and others—and Man and the Wasp for the universe’s next crop of only installments of the Marvel Marvel franchise, Strange succeeds visual fireworks by a bald female monk, a will continue those heroes: Rather than feeding into Cinematic Universe that demands by layering the conflict. The transporting heroes’ stories, the ever-expanding, ever more to be seen in full 3-D. (If you Ancient One is Stephen through black warrior, and an Black Panther complicated narrative web of the thought the Bifrost Bridge scenes much more landscapes that will feature in MCU, Strange wins big by staying from Thor were impressive, just would warp even Asian librarian.” his eponymous small. wait until the Ancient One MC Escher’s standalone movie, introduces Strange to mind, the events of the movie only and Captain Marvel will finally put At the film’s outset, Strange, a astral projection.) hotshot neurosurgeon with a affect a narrow community of a female lead on the map. healthy dash of Tony Stark-style sorcerers. The Avengers are arrogance, gets in a serious car headline-grabbing heroes whose The MCU’s gender crash which renders his exploits dominate newscasts; problems hands virtually useless. like Ant-Man before him, linger in Pursuing any possible Doctor Strange’s origin road to recovery, he story is one of small-scale in the Doctor Strange: Marvel Emma Rios, for the appropriately MM: It’s flying kung fu! I didn’t hesitate. [Director] Scott Masterworks Vol. 1, which collects titled Strange. Finding Stephen Strange Derrickson was pitching the story on the phone, and all of the original Stan Lee and Steve stripped of his title as the Sorcerer within five minutes he said something about kung fu, and the Ditko run. Ditko’s stunning, trippy Supreme, as well as most of his powers, I said, “Say that again.” “Well, there’s a lot of physicality, he must take his quest to fight evil visuals as well as the 1960’s kung fu, and obviously you don’t have to do the whole story fascination with Eastern down a notch. The mini-series was thing, we have stunt guys.” “I’m on! I’m doing the whole mysticism makes this only four issues, which has since been thing! I’m on!” [Laughs] It’s a childhood dream. Bruce Lee book stand out amongst the collected into a single trade paperback. begins was my biggest hero and still is. At the age of 50, you get classics. The Defenders have always been a to do stuff that you probably should have done when you Despite being published in superhero team comprised of outsiders were 15. But hey, who am I to say no? that just don’t quite fit in with the 1989, the Triumph and EW: The makeup around your eyes in this film is crazy. Torment remains one Avengers, or the Marvel Universe at What was that process like? of the best Doctor Strange series large. As a result, Doctor Strange has by to date. Written by Gerry Conway, found himself among the Defenders MM: It took almost three hours. It’s a nice warm-up! You Roger Stern, and Bill Mantlo, with many times. The most recent get in the chair, and you try to relax and focus on the Avery Ott art by Gene Colan, the amazing Mike incarnation of The Defenders came day’s work ahead of you. So I don’t mind at all. My skin Mignola, and Kevin Nowlan, this courtesy of writer Matt Fraction is disagreeing completely, because for weeks in a row of While Benedict Cumberbatch may be (Hawkeye, Sex Criminals) and artist unlikely team-up stars Doctor Strange doing that, your skin gets very sick and tired of doing it. bringing the Master of the Mystical and Doctor Doom together as they Terry Dodson (Princess Leia, Red Arts to life on the big screen this week, fight their way across time, space, and One). Fraction described the good EW: Why does your character wear it? Doctor Strange has been around since out of hell. It has since been collected doctor as the “James Spader” of the his creation in 1963 by writer Stan Lee into a single collection, available in Marvel Universe, a sleazy, arrogant MM: Now, see, that is one of the things you have to see the and artist Steve Ditko, best known as stores or online here. jerk, who finds himself teamed with film to understand. Or maybe I can tell you, but then I’d the creative team behind Spider-Man. Red She-Hulk, Silver Surfer, Namor, have to kill you.