The Doctor Strange trailer dropped on Jimmy Kimmel last night when Benedict Cumberbatch was on during Marvel Week and, well, it’s a little strange…
First things first: TILDA SWINTON!
I had no idea she was in this, and playing the friggin’ non-asshole, way superior Ra’s al Ghul-ish role. Like, OMFG I am seeing this movie now 100% times more. Tilda seriously becomes characters as effortlessly as James D’Arcy (no, for real, look at his IMDB page and realize you had no idea that was him in like half of his roles). Anyway, she’s the Ancient One who (obviously from the trailer) teaches Benedict, er, Dr. Strange magic. I’m sure there will be some major backlash on this choice of using a white woman for the historically Tibetan male role, especially since we already know Benedict Wong is playing Dr. Strange’s manservant Wong (wikipedia’s phrasing; guessing he’ll be the sidekick character). But I love Tilda Swinton and I’m excited to watch her in this movie.
Smells of Origin Story
The Hulk is probably the only Marvel movie that just skips the origin story (it’s told through the opening credits sequence), and the MCU basically ignores the existence of that film (we’ll see if General Ross mentions his daughter at all in Cap3: Civil War…), so it’s not a major surprise that Dr. Strange is getting what appears to clearly be an origin story film. From the used to be an amazing surgeon but now cannot use his hands due to a terrible car crash, we see Cumberstrange (had to) on his journey into homelessness and utter despair. Then he finds the Ancient One and some possibilities for another reality are opened…
Insert Chiwetel Ejiofor
Another actor from The Martian joins the cast as the #1 adversary of Dr. Strange. I’m not sure he’ll appear as such in this movie, perhaps at the climax? But he is clearly in it, and clearly trained in ninja arts based on his outfit and weaponry. He looks like he’s alongside the Ancient One in the monastery, maybe like a a Jedi and Dr Strange will be his padawan?
The origin story goes that Chiwetel’s character, Baron Mordo, plans an attack on The Ancient One. When Dr. Strange tries to stop him/warn the Ancient One but can’t due to Mordo’s restraining spells (Mordo needs to teach a girl these spells!), that’s when the Ancient One decides Dr. Strange is not too selfish to teach. And thus begins his training into becoming the Sorcerer Supreme, who protects Earth from magic attacks. It’s basically like Professor Trelawney and Arrow S3’s Oliver Queen had a love child and named it Vincent Stephen Strange.
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“Stars, hide your fires; Let not light see my black and deep desires.”
The addition of Chiwetel amps this film up to the next level. Then you throw in Le Chiffre from Casino Royale (Mads Mikkelsen; whose role isn’t credited, but it sort of sounds like him talking in the super first line of the trailer?) and Rachel McAdams (also not credited yet; my bet is on Clea, supervillain Dormammu’s niece cuz that reveal would be epic… maybe Mads will be Dormammu?!), and it’s like explosion of talent in one place. I’m secretly hoping that Loki shows up and he, Baron, and Dr. Strange have a Shakespeare throw-down, like a dance-off, but for Shakespeare nerds. Like, can you even imagine that? Well, you kind of should be able to because of an Easter egg in Thor…
The Orb of Agamotto
Told you I researched the crap out of my fanfiction. You think I don’t know what’s in Odin’s Vaults? Puh-leeze. He’s got tons of stuff in there, and if you remember correctly from Thor2’s ending, Odin isn’t Odin any more…
So, why does this matter? Well, the scrying crystal ball that Dr. Strange uses to find the origin of magic use and especially evil magic? Totally the Orb of Agamotto:
So, if Dr. Strange lives in Greenwich (lolz like he can afford that) and his main source of finding things is locked up in Asgard’s vaults, then how does he get access to it? Maybe by another sorceress who happens to be Asgardian and whose sister Lorelei happened to visit Earth already in Agents of SHIELD S1? Just saying, if Amora shows up, don’t be shocked. And if Loki happens to cast his image to Dr. Strange somehow, I think we’d all pay money for that scene… perhaps Dr. Strange and sidekick Wong will steal it back from Asgard? I don’t know, but I hope Marvel does this right and makes it an epic big deal.
CumberStrange
You all know that Ben is more like a platonic friend to me lust-zone wise; like awesome guy, but just… meh, no. Have you seen his BFF Tom though? Whew. Anyhoo, I’m definitely digging him in this role, which I did have some reservations about back during casting time, and he definitely seems to be digging this role, too. Did you see him hanging out at some NYC comic book shop in cosplay? Like, the most officially official cosplay one could have (is it even cosplay at this point?!)…
- Cape of Levitation? Yes.
- Eye of Agamotto? Yes.
- Hanging out in NYC where he lives? Yes.
- Clearly journeying into the Dark Dimension soon? …… TBD.
All we know for sure is that the Doctor Strange trailer is showing a totally different side to the MCU, which I think will be necessary to take on Thanos and save the universe from the infinity stones. Especially if my prediction of Steve Rogers dying in Cap3: Civil War is correct…
