For the 1978 television film, see Dr. Strange (film). For
the 2007 animated film, see Doctor Strange: The Sorcerer Supreme.
Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange, wearing his traditional costume, coming out
from a flowing energetic portal, and around him the world and New York turning
around itself with the film's cast names above him and the film's title,
credits and billing are underneath.
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Scott
Derrickson
Produced by Kevin
Feige
Screenplay by
Scott Derrickson
C. Robert Cargill
Story by
Jon Spaihts
Scott Derrickson
C. Robert Cargill
Based on Doctor
Strange
by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko
Starring
Benedict
Cumberbatch
Chiwetel Ejiofor
Rachel McAdams
Benedict Wong
Michael Stuhlbarg
Benjamin Bratt
Scott Adkins
Mads Mikkelsen
Tilda Swinton
Music by Michael
Giacchino
Cinematography Ben
Davis
Edited by
Wyatt Smith[1]
Sabrina Plisco[2]
Production
company
Marvel Studios
Distributed by Walt
Disney Studios
Motion Pictures
Release dates
October 13, 2016
(Hong Kong)
November 4, 2016
(United States)
Running time
115
minutes[3]
Country United
States
Language English
Doctor Strange is a 2016 American superhero film featuring
the Marvel Comics character of the same name, produced by Marvel Studios and
distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is the fourteenth film
of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The film is directed by Scott
Derrickson, who wrote the screenplay with C. Robert Cargill from a story by the
duo and Jon Spaihts, and stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel
McAdams, Benedict Wong, Michael Stuhlbarg, Benjamin Bratt, Scott Adkins, Mads
Mikkelsen, and Tilda Swinton. In Doctor Strange, surgeon Stephen Strange learns
the mystic arts from the Ancient One after a career-ending car accident.
Various incarnations of a Doctor Strange film have been in
development since the mid-1980s until Paramount Pictures acquired the film
rights in April 2005 on behalf of Marvel Studios. Thomas Dean Donnelly and
Joshua Oppenheimer were brought on board in June 2010 to write a screenplay. In
June 2014, Derrickson was hired to direct the film. Cumberbatch was chosen for
the eponymous role in December 2014, and at the same time, Spaihts was
confirmed to be rewriting the script, while Cargill joined Doctor Strange to
work on the script with Derrickson. The film began principal photography in
November 2015 in Nepal before moving to the United Kingdom, and concluded in
New York City in April 2016. Filming also occurred in Hong Kong.
Doctor Strange held its world premiere in Hong Kong on
October 13, 2016, and is scheduled to be released in North America on November
4, 2016 in 3D and IMAX 3D.
Premise
After Stephen Strange, the world's top neurosurgeon, is
injured in a car accident that ruins his career, he sets out on a journey of
healing, where he encounters the Ancient One, who later becomes Strange's
mentor in the mystic arts.[4][5]
Cast
(L:R) Benedict Cumberbatch, Scott Derrickson, Tilda Swinton,
Rachel McAdams, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Mads Mikkelsen, and Benedict Wong promoting
Doctor Strange at the 2016 San Diego Comic Con International.
Benedict
Cumberbatch as Stephen Strange / Doctor Strange:
A neurosurgeon who, after a horrific car
accident that led to a journey of healing, discovers the hidden world of magic
and alternate dimensions.[6] Cumberbatch described Strange as "very alpha
male, very arrogant. Brilliant at his job, but human ... [the film] is all
about him going from a place where he thinks he knows it all to realizing he
knows nothing."[7] Cumberbatch, who spent his gap year teaching English at
a Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Darjeeling, India,[8] stated that the mysticism
in the film resonated with him: "I'm very excited about that spiritual
dimension, obviously. It's something that’s been a huge part of my
life."[9] Cumberbatch stated he took great care in defining the physical
movements and gestures of the character, as he felt there was "going to be
a huge amount of speculation and intrigue over the positioning of that finger
as opposed to it being there, or there."[10] He also called the gestures
"a beautiful thing", "balletic" and "very dynamic".[11]
Producer Kevin Feige added that Doctor Strange would "only touch upon what
a lot of his powers are," which include casting spells with
"tongue-twisty fun names", creating mandalas of light for shields and
weapons, and creating portals for quick travel around the world. Strange is also
aided by a Cloak of Levitation for flight, and the Eye of Agamotto, a relic
with the ability to "manipulate probabilities ... which is also another
way of saying, 'screw around with time'."[12] Comparing Strange to the
version of Sherlock Holmes that he portrays in Sherlock, Cumberbatch called
them both "intelligent" and having "smatterings of the same
colors," but clarified that Strange is "not on the spectrum"
like Holmes.[13]
Chiwetel Ejiofor
as Karl Mordo:
A student of the
Ancient One, along with Strange. Unlike the comics, the character is not
completely villainous and is a combination of different characters from the
Doctor Strange mythos.[14][15] Ejiofor noted this, saying, Mordo is "very
ambiguous" and "a very complex character that, really, I don’t think
can be nailed down either way".[16][17] Director Scott Derrickson added
that the change in character stemmed from casting Ejiofor and conversations the
director had with him. However, Derrickson noted the "antagonism between Mordo
and Strange" is in place to explore in the future.[16] Regarding Mordo's
relationships with the Ancient One, Ejiofor called it "long and
intense" and "very deep and very connected." He added that once
Strange arrives, they both recognize a "certain quality [in him] that they
feel is going to be very useful in a situation they’re in."[17] Further
expanding on Mordo's relationship with Strange, Ejiofor said, "He’s a
mentor to Strange and there’s a growing respect between the two of them – he
sees a lot of skill in Strange – and then things get complicated."[16]
Rachel McAdams as
Christine Palmer:
A fellow surgeon
of Strange.[18][19] Feige described the character as a "lynchpin to his
old life, once he steps into the role of a sorcerer. She is someone he connects
with at the beginning, and reconnects with, and helps anchor his
humanity."[20] On why Palmer was chosen as Strange's love interest for the
film, instead of Clea as in the comics, Feige said the studio wanted a
"grounded" character who was a "connection to Strange’s life in
New York City, in the normal world".[21]
Benedict Wong as
Wong:[22]
One of the Masters
of Mystic Arts, tasked with protecting some of Kamar-Taj's most valuable relics
and book.[23][24] The actor described Wong as "more of a drill sergeant to
Kamar-Taj", rather than "the tea-making manservant" to Strange
as depicted in the comics.[25] The character was not included in the script
initially, since in the comics he is "an Asian sidekick manservant." However,
once Tilda Swinton was cast as the Ancient One, Derrickson decided to include
the character again, "because, unlike the Ancient One, he could be
completely subverted as a character and reworked into something that didn’t
fall into any of the stereotypes of the comics."[26]
Michael Stuhlbarg
as Nicodemus West: A rival scientist to Strange.[2][27]
Benjamin Bratt as
Jonathan Pangborn: Someone who holds an important piece of information on
Strange's journey of healing.[28][29]
Scott Adkins[30]
Mads Mikkelsen as Kaecilius:
One of the Masters
of Mystic Arts who breaks off into his own sect from the Ancient
One.[2][23][31] Describing the character, Feige said, "[He] believes that
the Ancient One is just protecting her own power base and that the world may be
better off if we were to allow some of these other things through."[32]
Mikkelsen added, "He's not a villain in that way – he's a man who believes
in something else than the hero. That doesn't mean that he doesn't want to make
the planet look wonderful or he wants to save the world as well, but he has a
different way of doing it. He is the antagonist, of course, but he's not
necessarily wrong."[33] According to Mikkelsen, the character is a
combination of multiple Doctor Strange antagonists, with Derrickson saying the
character was developed "to allow us to introduce the idea of certain
individuals who live in other dimensions".[16] Derrickson added that
Kaecilius "has a very compelling point of view that Doctor Strange is
confronted with in the movie. That, to me, is what makes a good opponent for
the hero of a story."[34] Derrickson likened Kaecilius to John Doe from
Seven and the Joker from The Dark Knight as all were "[men] of ideas"
that have "watertight logic" for their ideals and actions.[35]
Tilda Swinton as
the Ancient One:
A Celtic
mystic,[36] who becomes Strange's mentor and trains pupils to be the next
Sorcerer Supreme. Marvel Studios initially searched for a male actor, but
rethought the role and made it female.[14][37] Before filming began, Swinton
did not know if she would portray the character as a female or male,[38] but
later stated that the character's gender is "all in the eye of the
beholder". Feige said, "we use the terms 'her' and 'she' in the film
but, other than that, it's very androgynous. Because it doesn't
matter,"[39] and explained that the Ancient One is "a mantle more
than a specific person... There have been multiple [Ancient Ones], even if this
one has been around for five hundred years, there were others. This is a
mantle, and therefore felt we had leeway to cast in interesting ways."[40]
Had Swinton not accepted the role, the script would have been rewritten, as the
part was written specifically for Swinton.[41] Swinton's casting drew
accusations of whitewashing due to the fact that the character is generally
depicted as a Tibetan man.[42] Co-writer C. Robert Cargill compared it to the
Kobayashi Maru (an unwinnable training exercise in the Star Trek universe),
saying, "There is no other character in Marvel [Comics] history that is
such a cultural land mine that is absolutely unwinnable," citing the Asian
racial stereotype surrounding the character, and the political climate around
Tibet. As such, Derrickson decided to "use this as an opportunity to cast
an amazing actress in a male role."[43] In response, Swinton stated that
the film's version of the character is not meant to be Asian, and that she was
never asked to play an Asian character.
