Doctor Strange (2016) free download

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.