Doctor Strange (2016 film)
A neurosurgeon discovers the mystic arts after a car crash.
Doctor Strange is a 2016 American superhero film that brings the Marvel Comics character of the same name to the big screen. It was produced by Marvel Studios and released by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, marking the 14th installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Scott Derrickson directed the movie, co-writing the screenplay with Jon Spaihts and C. Robert Cargill. The cast includes Benedict Cumberbatch as Dr. Stephen Strange, alongside Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Benedict Wong, Michael Stuhlbarg, Benjamin Bratt, Scott Adkins, Mads Mikkelsen, and Tilda Swinton. The story follows Strange, a conceited neurosurgeon whose career ends after a severe car crash, leading him to uncover the mystic arts and train as a sorcerer.
Plans for a Doctor Strange film had been in the works since the mid-1980s, with various versions considered. Paramount Pictures secured the film rights in April 2005 on behalf of Marvel Studios. Thomas Dean Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer were hired in June 2010 to write a screenplay. Derrickson was brought on as director in June 2014, with Spaihts revising the script. Cumberbatch was cast as the lead in December 2014, which required adjusting the schedule to fit his other projects. This gave Derrickson extra time to refine the script, bringing in Cargill for assistance. Principal photography started in November 2015 in Nepal, then moved to England, and concluded in New York City in April 2016.
The film premiered in Hong Kong on October 13, 2016, and was released in the United States on November 4, as part of the MCU's Phase Three. Critics gave it positive reviews, and it earned $677.8 million globally. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. A sequel, *Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness*, came out in May 2022.
**Plot**
In Kathmandu, the sorcerer Kaecilius and his followers break into the secret compound Kamar-Taj, beheading the librarian and stealing pages from a book owned by the Ancient One, an immortal sorcerer who has trained everyone at Kamar-Taj, including Kaecilius. The Ancient One chases them, but they escape.
In New York City, Dr. Stephen Strange, a wealthy, famous, and arrogant neurosurgeon, badly damages his hands in a car crash while heading to a speaking event, leaving him unable to perform surgery. His colleague Christine Palmer tries to help him move on, but Strange stub
- release_year
- 2016
- director
- Scott Derrickson
- screenwriters
- Scott Derrickson, Jon Spaihts, C. Robert Cargill
- lead_actor
- Benedict Cumberbatch
- production_company
- Marvel Studios
- distributor
- Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
- box_office
- $677.8 million worldwide
Lore & Background
The film follows Dr. Stephen Strange, a wealthy, arrogant neurosurgeon who severely injures his hands in a car crash. Unable to operate, he seeks healing and is directed to Kamar-Taj, where he trains under the Ancient One in the mystic arts. Strange learns to protect Earth from dimensional threats using relics such as the Cloak of Levitation and the Eye of Agamotto, which contains an Infinity Stone. He confronts the sorcerer Kaecilius, who seeks to bring the Dark Dimension to Earth, and ultimately traps Dormammu in a time loop to force a bargain. The film ends with Strange taking up residence in the New York Sanctum and, in a mid-credits scene, agreeing to help Thor.
Reader's Guide
Doctor Strange (2016) introduced the mystical side of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, expanding the franchise beyond science and technology. The film received positive reviews and grossed $677.8 million worldwide, earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Visual Effects. Its success led to a sequel, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, released in May 2022. The film is notable for its diverse cast, including Chiwetel Ejiofor as Karl Mordo and Tilda Swinton as the Ancient One, and for establishing the character of Doctor Strange as a key figure in the MCU's Phase Three.
Did You Know?
- Various incarnations of a Doctor Strange film adaptation had been in development since the mid-1980s.
- Principal photography began in November 2015 in Nepal, before moving to England and wrapping up in New York City in April 2016.
- Benedict Cumberbatch spent his gap year teaching English at a Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Darjeeling, India, which resonated with the film's mysticism.
- The film's world premiere was in Hong Kong on October 13, 2016.
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