Doctor Strange is the latest character to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe and his debut is one of Marvel’s best and funniest movies to date. Doctor Stephen F. Strange is a world-renowned Neurosurgeon with multiple PhD’s, a smart mind and an even smarter mouth.
The film kicks off with Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) playing music trivia with one of his colleagues, while they are in the middle of a surgical procedure. His ego is brought to light within minutes of the film as his colleague, and former love interest, Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams) goes to him for a second and more definite opinion on a patient that may or may not be deceased.
The odd back and forth between Palmer and Strange would usually make way for your typical love interest but the director had other thoughts.
Strange shares similar characteristics to Tony Stark as his vast intelligence and great wealth go hand in hand with his ego and inability to handle personal relationships well. This is clear throughout the film but mostly after Strange’s car accident.
On his way to a dinner in his honor Strange gets in a horrific accident that had him stuck in a ditch for hours on end, resulting in drastic surgical procedures. Though his colleagues were able to save his real life, they could not save his professional career as the nerve damage in has hands was deemed irreversible.
Strange goes on to try countless medical procedures and experiments only to fail each time and exhaust him of his wealth. Yet, when told of a patient who was paralyzed after an accident then somehow able to walk again, Strange believes all is not lost.
Strange is directed to Kamar-Taj in Nepal where he believes he will find a solution through unorthodox medicine but instead finds way into the mystic arts. Led by the Ancient One, Wong, and his peer Mordo, Strange discovers an entirely new reality.
This new reality, however, puts Earth at risks for complete destruction and Strange has to make a choice. Will he put himself first or be selfless?