Benedict Cumberbatch has been prolific in terms of the incredible variation in the characters that he’s played with everything from Sherlock Holmes in BBC’s Sherlock to Smaug in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Kahn in Star Trek: Into Darkness and Alan Turing in The Imitation Game. At the end of summer 2016 he adding yet another big name to his list of credits as he took on his first super hero role as Stephen Vincent Strange in Marvel’s Doctor Strange.
Based on the comic book of the same name, the new addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe comes complete with yet another strong supporting cast. However, the comic book character is less well known than other big names that have graced the big screen in recent years, so it’ll be interesting to see if producer Kevin Faige can replicate the success of Guardians Of The Galaxy and Ant-Man, which had a similar challenge.
Release date
Cinema:
Doctor Strange (2016) had a UK release date of Friday the 28th October 2016, a little ahead of the US release on the 4th November 2016. As with all big budget superhero movies these days it was available to view in IMAX and 3D, as well as the standard 2D screening, and with Stephen Strange’s magical super powers it was one to watch with as much eye popping intensity as possible. Very little of note arrived in cinemas on the same weekend in the UK, so it had a pretty clear run at the box office, with just Jack Reacher: Never Go Back and Keeping Up With The Joneses out the week before as its competition.
DVD, Blu-ray and digital download:
The UK DVD release date has been confirmed for the 6th March 2017, and it will also be available on Blu-ray, digital download rental and Blu-ray 3D on the same date. You should be able to buy the film digitally a week in advance of the DVD release, which has become the norm with iTunes these days.
Story
The plot centres around neurosurgeon Stephen Strange (Cumberbatch) as he’s badly injured during a near-fatal car crash that leaves him with a long and difficult road to recovery. In the process of trying to rebuild himself and his life he discovers the mystical and mysterious world of magic and the potential of alternative dimensions, which changes his life forever.
Doctor Strange will also explore the complex relationship between Stephen and Karl Mordo, along with their magical trans-dimensional mentor the Ancient One. In the comics, Mordo was one of the Doctor’s biggest enemies as the super villain, Baron Mordo, so it’ll be interesting to see how he’s treated in the film.
Cast
In addition to Benedict Cumberbatch (Black Mass) as Stephen Strange, the cast list also includes Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years A Slave) as Karl Mordo, and Tilda Swinton (Hail, Caesar!) as the Ancient One. They’re added to by Rachel McAdams (Midnight In Paris), Michael Stuhlbarg (Men In Black 3) and Mads Mikkelsen (The Salvation).
Age rating
Doctor Strange has been given an age rating of 12A by the BBFC with “moderate fantasy violence and injury detail”.
DVD, Blu-ray and digital download special features
Sfeatures may vary, but the DVD doesn’t include any bonus materials, so if you want to get the most comprehensive release, you might want to go for either the digital download HD or Blu-ray version of the film.
Digital HD and Blu-ray special features:
- A Strange Transformation – See how the filmmakers brought the magic of Doctor Strange to life
- Strange Company – Director Scott Derrickson and the cast talk about working on the film
- The Fabric of Reality – The sets and costumes that went into delivering the visual impact of the Doctor Strange
- Across Time and Space – Featurette on the dance and fight choreography the actors were put through in preparation for filming
- The Score-cerer Supreme – Composer Michael Giacchino takes us through live recording sessions with a full orchestra as they craft the music for the film
- Marvel Studios Phase 3 Exclusive Look – An early peek at Marvel’s spectacular upcoming films, including Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Thor: Ragnarok, Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War
- Team Thor: Part 2 – More jokes from Thor and his roommate Darryl in this comedy short
- Deleted Scenes:
- Strange Meets Daniel Drumm
- Kaecilius Searches for Answers
- The Kamar-Taj Courtyard
- Making Contact
- Lost in Kathmandu
- Gag Reel
- Audio Commentary by Director Scott Derrickson
Digital HD exclusive special feature:
- Through the Keyhole: The Science of the Marvel Cinematic Universe – See how Marvel brings real science to all its films.
Production
While the film was in the relatively trusted hands of producer and president of Marvel Studios, Kevin Faige (Captain America: Civil War), the director, Scott Derrickson, is a little less proven when it comes to superhero outings. His back catalogue has more of a horror twist, which could indicate that Doctor Strange will be more of a dark affair, which could suit the magic, alternate dimensions and demons that should be at the heart of the film.
However, there’s also a lot of Marvel experience from the rest of the crew to keep things constant with Ben Davis as the director of photography, Charles Wood as the production designer, Alexandra Byrne on costume design, Wyatt Smith as editor and Stephane Ceretti as the visual effects supervisor. Combined they can boast Guardian Of The Galaxy, Avengers: Age Of Ultron and Thor: The Dark World in their credits, so that should be enough flight time for the average Marvel Cinematic Universe aficionado. Louise D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Charles Newirth, Stephen Broussard and the legend that is Stan Lee are executive producers.
Filming took place in London, New York, Hong Kong and Kathmandu, Nepal, so their should be a fairly broad geographical range for the film. You can follow the Doctor Strange Twitter page for more on the production and release.
First impressions
There’s a lot of latent, crackling potential to the movie adaptation of Doctor Strange, but the trailer below looks as strange as the title implies. The cast list is very impressive and the production team has got some serious credits to their names, so there should be enough continuity from the strength of previous Marvel movie releases. A lot will rest on the director’s shoulders to bring something new to the delivery without taking away too much of the Marvel movie magic.
