Image via Complex Original
Every year, Marvel drops a film from their core story, then they try to introduce a character out of left field. For example, 2015 saw the release of Avengers: Age of Ultron, where the gang was truly all there, and then dropped the more singular Ant-Man. 2016 follows suit, with the epic Captain America: Civil War setting the stage for Doctor Strange, which is out on Nov. 4. The movie, which sees the idea of mysticism being officially introduced into Marvel's Cinematic Universe, introduces us to Stephen Strange, a highly successful doctor who, due to an unfortunate series of events, is stripped of his livelihood and thrust on the road to becoming an expert sorcerer. Sounds weird, but this is the world of comic books; ride with me.
Added to Marvel Comics in 1963 (during their "Silver Age"), Doctor Strange made his debut in the Strange Tales series, and in the following 50-plus years, he's put in work as a master of the mystic arts, achieving the title of Sorcerer Supreme while aligning himself with the Avengers and other elite groups. Interestingly, it hasn't been until recent years that Strange has made the jump to being more of a regular character (which no doubt coincides with Marvel's plans for him in their Cinematic Universe). Essentially, all magic flows through him, and he's finally found his place as a true force within the Marvel Comics world.
Even though he has a major Marvel movie on the horizon, Doctor Strange is still a mystery to some. That said, we're here with a brief explainer on Stephen Strange and his journey to become the mystical master, the Sorcerer Supreme. Weird whitewashing aside, here's everything you need to know about Doctor Strange before you geek TF out at Doctor Strange.
He Was a Real Doctor With a Really Big Ego
Stephen Strange has every right to have a big ego—not too many people can say that they went directly from high school to medical school at Columbia University. After a five-year residency at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Strange grew an ego that matched the size of his wealth. He stopped giving a fuck about his patients, and ended up being motivated by the money he could make treating them.
Why this is important: This is highlighted perfectly in the film, as Strange's arrogance is on full display both before and even after he gains his abilities. He's a total prick, as my editor would say, but that also helps ground him. Strange isn't some Captain America goody-goody; he's a real-world dick who ends up being humbled and uses that as motivation to do good for the people around him.
He Was Involved in a Car Accident
During a horrible car accident, Strange's life was saved, but the nerves in his hands were severely damaged. It proved to be a low point in the surgeon's career; he threw stacks of cash at any treatments he thought could fix him, and when none of them worked, he resorted to a number of shady dealings just to get by. After hearing about the power of the Ancient One, Strange dropped everything and made the journey to Tibet. There, the Ancient One decided that instead of just curing Strange, it made more sense to teach him mysticism. Strange relented at first, but after witnessing the Ancient One's awesome mystical power, he was humbled, and decided to take on the Ancient One's teachings.
Why this is important: The series of events highlights not only how desperate Strange was to reclaim his life, but shows how the power of the mystical arts really moved him. The film deals with his origin story, and this is the crux of what turns him from the arrogant prick he was to the more humbled student he becomes.
He's the Sorcerer Supreme
Unbeknownst to him, Strange was pre-destined to be the Sorcerer Supreme, which is defined as a "practitioner of the mystic or magic arts who has greater skills than all others or commands a greater portion of the ambient magical energies than any other organism on a given world or dimension." The Ancient One, who was the previous Sorcerer Supreme, taught Strange well, to the point where he was not only able to tap into the energies from mystical beings from other realms, but was able to battle Death itself, and after winning, earn near-immortality. Dude's the real deal, and has proven it time and again in these mystical fields.
Why this is important: With Doctor Strange kicking off the world of magic in the MCU, you couldn't go half-assed and have some regular magician mixing it up with literal gods. You need a goddamn Socerer Supreme out there! And again, the movie deals a lot with the how of Strange becoming this mystical Michael Jordan; it's good to know that with years of practice comes a major title.
He's Down With the Avengers
During Marvel's first Civil War, Doctor Strange gave the rogue Avengers unit sanctuary in his Sanctum Santorum in New York. This was an easy way to usher Strange into the crew, where he'd summon all kinds of spells to help aid the New Avengers squad on their missions. He was also a member of the Avengers of the Supernatural, which had him teaming with the likes of Ghost Rider, Blade, and others to take on creatures of the supernatural sort. He's not front and center with any of the more impactful Avengers crews, but he's got the card, and even without it, we imagine he could work his way into Avengers Mansion.
Why this is important: With the contract situations for Robert Downey, Jr. and Chris Evans up in the air, Marvel's taken steps to usher in new forces that can slide easily into the Avengers group. They highlighted this in Captain America: Civil War, where the likes of the Scarlet Witch, Vision, and Ant-Man found their places within the unit. With the Sorcerer Supreme already rumored to be getting his Batman on for the MCU, he's bound to take up a spot left by someone on the way out. Plus, he has a 'stache and is arrogant; you'll barely miss Iron Man.
He's Part of the Illuminati
No, not that Illuminati, but the Marvel version. That's right; just like there's an IRL secret society that's said to be truly controlling major decisions regarding our world, there's one within the Marvel Comics Universe. Strange, alongside the big brains and major figures like Professor X, Reed "Mister Fantastic" Richards, Iron Man, Captain America, and others would put their various differences aside to share information between each other, much of the time helping avert major disasters without their respective squads being aware of it. This could involve anything from holding onto the sacred Infinity Stones to finding different ways to stop two different universes from literally colliding and destroying one another. The Sorcerer Supreme is more than a fancy title; it's one that puts Strange in elite company.
Why this is important: There's no word regarding the MCU introducing the Illuminati to the mix (yet), but with things coming to a head with Thanos, Doctor Strange is entering the mix at the right time. Hell, if the rumor of the "World War Hulks" storyline coming to the MCU holds any water, Strange played a part in that alongside the Illuminati, so we'd have an easy in for that story to take shape. Judging by the reported aftermath of Doctor Strange, it sounds like Strange is going to be a major figure in the MCU very soon; maybe he'll be serving magical realness to the MCU just like he does within the comics.