For the last few months, the biggest casting rumors out of Marvel Studios have revolved around Doctor Strange. Scott Derrickson signed on to direct the film back in June and Marvel recently announced that the movie will be released on November 4, 2016, a slight bump from its original July 8, 2016 release date.
You can wait two years for Hollywood to simplify the character for the general public, but in just a few clicks, you’ll soon learn everything that you need to know about Marvel’s master of the mystic arts.
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Origins & Evolutions: Doctor Strange
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Who is Doctor Strange?
In 1963, artist Steve Ditko created Dr. Stephen Strange and brought the character to Marvel. Even Stan Lee has acknowledged that Ditko was the sole creator of Doctor Strange, and it’s highly unusual for Lee to let any credit slip by him... which means that it’s very likely to be true.
However, Lee did provide the dialogue over Ditko’s artwork and plots in Strange Tales. But it took a while for the good doctor to develop a real personality of his own. It wasn’t until Doctor Strange’s fourth appearance in Strange Tales #115 that his origin story was finally revealed.
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Surgeon No More
As established in his origin story, Dr. Stephen Strange was an unusually gifted neurosurgeon who only loved money. He was a heartless and arrogant man. To no one’s surprise but his own, Dr. Strange managed to destroy himself through his recklessness. His hands were badly injured in a car accident and he was told that he would never be able to perform surgery again.
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The Last Hope
From there, Strange squandered his fortune in the vain hope of finding a cure for his hands. In later retellings of his origin, Strange even performed back alley medical procedures before becoming a homeless derelict.
Strange’s last hope came when he heard about a mystic known as the Ancient One, who was rumored to have the power to cure any affliction.
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Rebirth
The Ancient One refused Strange’s request because of his selfishness, but he sensed that Strange had the potential to be much more than the shallow man that he had become. Before leaving the mystical sanctuary, Strange witnessed the Ancient One’s pupil, Baron Mordo, attempt to use dark magic to murder his mentor.
When Strange tried to stop Mordo, he was placed under a spell that prevented him from warning the Ancient One. In his first selfless act in years, Strange volunteered to become the Ancient One’s new disciple to thwart Mordo. However, the Ancient One was aware of Mordo’s duplicity all along and he freed Strange from Mordo’s dark spell before beginning his initiation into the world of magic.
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From Here to Eternity
Ditko let his imagination run wild during his time on Strange Tales. He introduced Strange’s adversaries Nightmare (the dark lord of dreams) and Dormammu, the ruthless ruler of the Dark Dimension. Strange also gained an ally named Clea, the niece of Dormammu who became Strange’s disciple before eventually becoming his equal and his lover. Ditko and Lee also introduced Wong, Strange’s servant and loyal friend.
Before Ditko left Strange Tales and Doctor Strange behind, he crafted a 17-issue storyline that unveiled Eternity, the personification of the very universe itself! It’s considered to be one of the pinnacle moments of Ditko’s time with the character.
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Doctor Strange... Superhero?!
Apparently someone at Marvel decided that Doctor Strange didn’t look like a conventional superhero and they wanted to change that. In Strange Tales #177, writer Roy Thomas and artist Gene Colan debuted Strange’s new costume, complete with a mask. Strange even got a new secret identity as Doctor Steven Sanders.
It didn’t last. But this wouldn’t be the first time that Marvel tried to “improve” Doctor Strange.
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The Defenders
Marvel is going to try to convince the public that Daredevil, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones and Iron Fist are The Defenders on Netflix over the next few years. But in 1973, the original Defenders were comprised of the unlikely team of Doctor Strange, the Hulk, Namor and the Silver Surfer.
The Defenders were created by Roy Thomas and artist Ross Andru. Strange had a very long association with this “non team,” even when he wasn’t a member. Strange was even a member of the team during Marvel’s most recent attempt to revive The Defenders as a monthly comic.
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Sorcerer Supreme
During a three issue storyline from Marvel Premiere issues #8-10, Doctor Strange was forced to kill his mentor, the Ancient One, in order to prevent the demon Shuma-Gorath from crossing over to Earth. The Ancient One became one with the universe... and because he had been the Sorcerer Supreme, that title was passed on to his prized pupil, Doctor Strange.
In the Marvel Universe, the Sorcerer Supreme is the most powerful magician alive. It is a highly-sought after position and Strange has faced many challengers to his title while protecting reality from the dark supernatural forces that would attempt to harm or destroy it.
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Doctor Strange: Master of the Mystic Arts
In 1974, Doctor Strange was given his own comic book once again. Doctor Strange: Master of the Mystic Arts ran for 81 issues and kept Strange in the spotlight until 1987.
Because Strange had apparently become too powerful, the series ended with the loss of several of Strange’s mystical artifacts which left him much weaker than he previously been.
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Doctor Strange: The TV Movie
The upcoming Doctor Strange film isn’t the first time that Marvel has tried to bring the character to live action. In 1978, CBS aired a two-hour Doctor Strange movie with Peter Hooten as the title character and Jessica Walter ("Arrested Development") as his nemesis, Morgana le Fay.
Doctor Strange had the misfortune of going up against "Roots," and the potential TV series never went forward. Marvel seems to be willing to let fans forget that the Doctor Strange TV movie ever happened, but you can still find bootleg copies of it at comic conventions.
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Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends
In the early ‘80s, Doctor Strange made his animated debut as a guest star in the “7 Little Superheroes” episode of "Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends." In that story, Spider-Man, Firestar, Iceman, Captain America, Namor, Shanna and Doctor Strange were lured into a trap by The Chameleon and picked off one by one.
It was the dog, Ms. Lion that saved the day in this episode. Suffice to say, it’s never a great moment when the cute animal upstages seven of Marvel’s superheroes. But Doctor Strange would get better opportunities in the future.
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Strange Tales Volume 2
After Doctor Strange’s ongoing series came to an end, he was paired with Cloak & Dagger in a second volume of Strange Tales in 1987. This era of Doctor Strange’s history has largely been forgotten, because it hasn’t been reprinted in over twenty years. But during this timeframe, Strange had to make new alliances to regain his powers and he underwent some drastic changes... including the loss of his left eye.
A rematch with the demon Shuma-Gorath turned Strange’s hair white. And during their final battle, Strange learned that he was becoming a new version of Shuma-Gorath and he committed suicide to prevent it. Strange was revived and purified of Shuma-Gorath’s influence, returning his hair to its natural color. But the eye patch remained... for a little while.
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Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme
In late 1988, Marvel launched Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme as an ongoing series. The early issues cleaned up a lot of the Strange Tales run as Strange regained his missing artifacts and he even got a new eye from one of his oldest enemies.
This was Doctor Strange’s longest ongoing series and it lasted 90 issues. It’s been almost two decades since Doctor Strange had his own monthly series, but Marvel has managed to keep him in the spotlight for most of that time.
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Back on TV
Doctor Strange returned to television as a guest star in the third season premiere of "Spider-Man: The Animated Series" in 1996. This time, Strange (voiced by John Vernon) was accompanied by Wong (who was played by "Star Trek’s" George Takei). This version of Strange was closer to the comics than his prior animated appearance, but he was still watered down from the original character.
That said, it was fun to see Strange and Wong in action while helping Spider-Man save Mary Jane Watson from Baron Mordo and Dormammu. In that regard, it was more true to the source material than the Doctor Strange animated movie that was released 11 years later.
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Even Stranger
During the early ‘90s, Strange was stripped of his Sorcerer Supreme title by the Vishanti, the mystical entities that were behind his most powerful magic spells. Thus Strange was severely depowered during the Siege of Darkness storyline and he found himself vulnerable to Salome, a malevolent sorceress who had previously been the Sorcerer Supreme.
When he was infected by Salome’s dark magic, Strange retreated into a pocket dimension and he split off two aspects of himself: the vain Vincent Stevens and Strange, a masked sorcerer who was much more violent than Doctor Strange himself.
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Young Again
Of the two Stranges, Vincent Stevens proved to be more dangerous as he attempted to hold on to his existence. Strange also fought to become a fully independent being and Doctor Strange ultimately realized that he had become something greater than a mere magical construct.
Doctor Strange allowed Strange to be reborn in the Dark Dimension and he tricked Salome into making herself vulnerable to him. In the aftermath, Strange’s body was purged of Salome’s dark magic and he was de-aged to his twenties or thirties. This was during Marvel’s darkest hours when the company tried anything to spike sales. Let’s just say that Doctor Strange didn’t stay young for very long.
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Classic Doc
Just a few issues later, Doctor Strange was restored to his classic look... with some minor alterations to his costume. Strange was also once again the Sorcerer Supreme, after he repaid his debt to the Vishanti.
This version of Doctor Strange was noticeably more optimistic and hopeful than his prior incarnations. He reconciled with Wong and started treating him as an equal. Strange even grieved over the loss of Baron Mordo, when his old enemy apparently redeemed himself before dying.
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Ultimate Comics
In the early 2000s, Marvel launched its line of Ultimate Comics. These comics were designed to be easily accessible for new readers and freed of the constraints of Marvel’s continuity.
Eventually, Marvel got around to Ultimate Doctor Strange within the pages of Ultimate Marvel Team-Up. But in this incarnation, Dr. Stephen Strange Jr. was the son of the original Doctor Strange and Clea. And the entire Strange family had a history in magic that went back several generations.
All of that came to an end in Ultimatum, the splatterfest comic written by Jeph Loeb that thoughtlessly (and brutally) killed off several characters within the Ultimate Universe.
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Strange Reboot
In 2004, J. Michael Straczynski and Samm Barnes rebooted Doctor Strange’s origin in the six-issue "Strange" miniseries... which was promptly ignored by everyone and never referred to again. It’s astonishing that Marvel and artist Brandon Peterson so shamelessly lifted the imagery from the first "Matrix" film. But almost all of that came from the script by Straczynski and Barnes.
For example, Clea is basically reimagined as Trinity, complete with black hair and a leather jacket. Her first real meeting with Strange in a nightclub is very similar to Neo and Trinity’s first meeting. Strange’s destiny is to be “The One” who replaces The Ancient One, who in this incarnation dresses and talks like Morpheus. Baron Mordo also looks a lot like Cypher.
On top of everything else, the writers cast Strange as a plastic surgeon who severely injured himself... in a skiing accident. Oh... and Strange also befriended Wong when he was an orphaned child in Tibet. At the time this miniseries came out, the theory was that Marvel was using it as a blueprint for an eventual Doctor Strange movie.
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Doctor Strange: The Oath
Before Brian K. Vaughan really hit it big in the comic industry, he wrote Doctor Strange: The Oath, a five issue miniseries that was released in 2006. Alongside artist Marcos Martin, Vaughan explored the intriguing notion of Strange’s dueling responsibilities as a doctor and a sorcerer when his friend Wong was stricken with terminal cancer.
Strange even briefly gets his hands on a cure for all of the illnesses that plague mankind. But in the end, he was only able to save Wong’s life.
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Doctor Strange: The Animated Movie
In 2007, Doctor Strange was the star of his own animated movie: Doctor Strange: The Sorcerer Supreme. As part of a joint venture between Marvel Studios and Lions Gate Entertainment, Doctor Strange was the fourth of eight animated direct-to-DVD films that were released over several years.
Unfortunately, the movie took a few too many liberties with the source material. Nowhere is that more evident than when Strange and Mordo engage in a mystic swordfight that tried too hard to make Strange into an action hero.
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The Illuminati
Did you know that Doctor Strange was part of a secret cabal of superheroes in the Marvel Universe? That my friends, is what we call a “retcon,” or retroactive continuity. Basically, the writer Brian Michael Bendis revealed that Strange was a member of the Illuminati, a group that included Iron Man, Mr. Fantastic, Professor X, Namor and Black Bolt of the Inhumans.
While their intentions were good, the Illuminati unwittingly set in motion the events that led to Civil War, Secret Invasion and World War Hulk.
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New Avengers
Brian Michael Bendis significantly increased Strange’s profile within the Marvel universe by making him a member of the renegade New Avengers alongside Spider-Man, Luke Cage, Spider-Woman, Ronin (Hawkeye), Echo, Wolverine and Iron Fist.
This team of Avengers strongly opposed the Superhuman Registration Act and they were openly in defiance of Iron Man’s Mighty Avengers. Strange’s team also hid in his mystically shielded home, which was hilariously covered with a sign that said a Starbucks was coming to this location.
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The Doctor Is Out
During his time with the New Avengers, Strange relinquished the title of Sorcerer Supreme as he felt that he had become unworthy. In the miniseries, Strange: The Doctor Is Out by Mark Waid and artist Emma Rios, Strange took on an apprentice named Casey Kinmont. Casey turned out to be a natural magic user and she was extremely gifted with the mystic arts.
However, Casey was reckless with her newfound power. And despite her good heart, Strange was helpless as Casey was trapped in another dimension after saving his life. But in the four years since this miniseries came out, Strange hasn’t attempted to rescue Casey and reunite her with her soul.
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Sorcerer Supreme Once More
During Brian Michael Bendis’ final storyline on New Avengers, Doctor Strange was forced to use black magic to save his friends and defeat Daniel Drumm, the insane brother of Doctor Voodoo who blamed the Avengers for his brother’s death.
Because Strange was able to use the black magic without corrupting himself and for his continued selflessness, the spirit of the Ancient One once again appointed him as the Sorcerer Supreme.
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Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3
In 2011, Capcom released its follow-up to "Marvel vs Capcom 3": the aptly titled "Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3." Doctor Strange was one of 12 new fighters added to the updated game and players could actively assume the role of Marvel’s Sorcerer Supreme.
Strange is one of the few characters who calls out his moves in the comics, so it’s actually really fun to hear him invoke “the hoary hosts of Hoggoth” while unleashing a Hyper-combo. Within the game itself, Strange has specific taunts and dialogue with Dr. Doom, Shuma-Gorath, Firebrand, Dormammu and Hulk. One of the great touches is that Strange and Hulk both refer to their time in The Defenders.
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The Illuminati Return
Although Strange headlined a brief revival of The Defenders following the restoration of his rank, he was once again sucked into the Illuminati during Jonathan Hickman’s New Avengers run. Alongside Captain America, Beast, Black Panther, Namor, Black Bolt and Iron Man, Strange confronted the mysterious Incursion events which threatened the very survival of the Earth.
Because Earth’s survival was dependent upon the destruction of other Earths, Strange and the Illuminati brainwashed Captain America into forgetting about their secret group before morally compromising themselves to ensure the survival of their planet.
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The Demon Within
More recently, Doctor Strange accepted a demon into his body in return for the life of a child. But Strange was doublecrossed and the child died anyway, leaving Strange stuck with a demon inside of him.
During an Incursion event from another Earth, Strange’s demon possessed his body and began killing the heroes of the alternate Earth, which forced Strange’s allies to fight him as well. This storyline is ongoing, and Strange may yet pay the price for his moral transgressions as a member of the Illuminati.
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Ultimate Doctor Strange
Ahead of the Doctor Strange movie, Marvel Animation is seeding the way for his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut by using Strange as a recurring guest star on Ultimate Spider-Man.
Note that this Doctor Strange has longer hair than his comic book counterpart and he appears to be much younger. Don’t be too shocked if this foreshadows a younger appearance for the eventual actor chosen to play Doctor Strange onscreen. Basically, the white hair might be going away, but the cloak and the amulet are pretty much the same.
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Doctor Strange 2016
It’s been a long strange road to the Doctor Strange movie. It almost happened once before, back in 1992 when Full Moon Entertainment had the rights to Doctor Strange and lost them before they could complete a low-budget film.
This time, it’s really happening. Marvel has Scott Derrickson signed to direct the Doctor Strange film and the release date has been set for November 4, 2016. Now all it needs is a leading man. "Sherlock" star Benedict Cumberbatch is currently rumored to be playing Doctor Strange... but so was Joaquin Phoenix at one point. So things can always change.
Marvel has announced that Doctor Strange will begin filming in May 2015.
