Up to this point the Marvel Cinematic Universe has explored many corners of their comics. We’ve been to Asgard, seen Thanos and the Infinity Stones, and witnessed the return of Spider-Man among other things! However, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has plenty of room to grow, and this week we’re taking a look at a whole new world (Aladdin pun intended) that Marvel hasn’t even mentioned in any of its films. This week the MCU enters the world of magic and introduces Doctor Strange!
Plot
Stephen Strange is one of the world’s greatest neurosurgeons. That all changes though after a horrific car accident causes permanent nerve damage in his hands. After months of searching for a cure, he meets someone who recovered from damage similar to his own. The man tells Stephen of a place in Nepal called Kamar-Taj, but when Stephen gets there he is shown a world that science cannot explain; the world of sorcery. Soon after finding Kamar-Taj, Stephen must master magic to stop a sorcerer named Kaecilius who wants to summon an ancient evil and destroy the world that wronged him years ago.
Villains
Kaecilius one studied under the Sorceress Supreme known as the Ancient One (who also trains Doctor Strange). Though incredibly skillful, he grew to resent her after he learned that she was basically immortal but refused to bring his wife and child back from the dead. Deeming her a hypocrite, Kaecilius left and found a new mentor in an inter-dimensional being named Dormammu. Dormammu lived in a place called the Dark Dimension where time stood still. He promised Kaecilus to make him and his family immortal together for just a small cost: the destruction of Earth. Kaecilius uses the powers of the Dark Dimension to enhance his already impressive skills. Although another “evil version of the hero,” Kaecilius has his moments. For starters he kills the Ancient One who is considered to be the strongest sorceress in the world. Also, he can warp reality, and he succeeds in summoning Dormammu. Sure Doctor Strange saves the day in the end, but it has to be said that Kaecilius has an impressive villainous resume. Also he’s played by the great Mads Mikkelsen so that’s a plus.
As stated earlier, Kaecilius is working for the being known as Dormammu who is literally named “The Destroyer of Worlds.” Dormammu is obsessed with conquering the entire multiverse and bringing them all into the Dark Dimension and he definitely has the firepower to do so. He’s undoubtedly the most powerful villain in the entire MCU (Thanos may change that but we’ll see). He has literally wiped out entire universes in the past and is absolutely massive in size. He’s so powerful that Doctor Strange doesn’t even attempt to fight him. Instead he comes up with an extremely clever way to defeat him. Speaking of…
Best Scene
Doctor Strange’s battle with Dormammu is one of the best villain defeats in any superhero film ever. There I said it, come at me. At the end of the film, Doctor Strange enters the Dark Dimension to confront Dormammu with the time bending Eye of Agamotto as his only weapon. Strange confronts Dormammu telling him he’s “come to bargain.” Dormammu simply replies with, “No you’ve come to die” and immediately vaporizes him. However, Strange returns telling Dormammu that he’s “come to bargain…” again. Dormammu again kills Strange and it becomes clear that Dormammu has fallen into Strange’s trap. The two are in an infinite time loop where they repeatedly live out the same moment: Strange shows up, Dormammu kills him, repeat. Strange says he’s willing to die for eternity if it means the world can live. The two continue this loop endlessly until Dormammu gets so annoyed that he actually surrenders. He and Strange finally bargain and Dormammu agrees to leave Earth and take Kaecilius with him. Never in a superhero film has a villain been annoyed to the point of surrender. Hilarious and highly original, this is one of my favorite hero vs. villain showdowns in any superhero movie.
Stan Lee Cameo
Strange and Baron Mordo are in the Mirror Dimension (a mirrored version of the universe) fighting Kaecilius. Mordo and Strange attempt to escape, but Kaecilius warps reality and sends the two flying into a nearby bus. Stan Lee (in the real dimension) is seen on the bus reading a book saying “That is HILARIOUS” as Strange and Mordo’s faces are smooshed into the bus window. Short but funny.
Post Credits Scenes
Thor meets Doctor Strange! According to Thor, he and Loki are on Earth searching for their father Odin (who we know went missing at the end of Thor: The Dark World). Having recently dealt with a god trying to destroy Earth, Strange isn’t happy about Loki being around so he offers to help Thor find Odin. Everyone and everything is coming together!
The second scene shows Johnathan Pangorn (the one who told Strange about Kamar-Taj) working. He gets a visit from Baron Mordo who says a sorcerer’s role is to “twist things out of its proper shape, steal power, and pervert nature.” He also says that, “power has purpose.” Pangorn senses hostility in Mordo’s voice and attacks him which is when Mordo uses a spell to re-cripple Pangorn. Pangorn asks why he’s doing this and Mordo simply states, “Because I at long last see what’s wrong with the world: too many sorcerers.” Mordo is going full Voldemort in the MCU!
Final Thoughts
Doctor Strange is the fourteenth movie in the MCU yet it still feels as fresh of a superhero film as ever! Although a bit generic in regards to the story, the introduction of magic is a breath of fresh air and opens up a whole new avenue of potential storylines for the MCU. It also has the best visual effects of any movie in the MCU, the magic is both trippy and stunning. Most importantly though, it gave us another Infinity Stone! The Eye of Agamotto contained the Time Stone! That means there’s only one stone left in hiding! We’re getting so close to the epic conclusion it’s getting unbearable!
Thanos Meme of the Week
I’ve been saving this meme for this week. Hopefully Strange keeps this idea in his back pocket when Thanos arrives!
The Magical World of Dids 