Back in 2016, it’s possible that not many casualMarvelfans knew who Stephen Strange, akaDoctor Strange, was. But then the mind-bending and massively successful movie made its debut, and many a new fan was born.
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Like all other Marvel heroes,Doctor Strangewas founded on paper - his debut came in the mid-sixties, inStrange Tales#110.Since then, the magical man has garnered a strong following of fans eager to absorb his adventures. But what was different in the movie? Adapting things from page to screen can be hard, especially with such fantastical things as superheroes, so we’ve looked at what elements did get changed in the movie adaptation.
8His True Power
Very quickly it was shown thatDoctor Strange was one of, if notthemost powerful member of the Avengers. He was able togo toe-to-toe with a gigantic interdimensional being(and win), as well as successfully constraining Thanos with magic.
But, this still wanes in comparison to the true power he holds. It makes sense to dim it down for the films, otherwise, he would be massively overpowered for the battles fans see. Especially for a new character, it was too much to put into his debut film. In the comics, however, he isincrediblymagically powerful, able tomove through dimensionsof space and time at will.
7Sorcerer Supreme?
Similar to dimming Strange’s shine, theMarvel Cinematic Universe also glazes over the whole ‘Sorcerer Supreme’ plotline. Like any other magical group (we’re looking at you,American Horror Story),there is a Supreme in charge that holds the most power.
Usually, the holder of the Eye is seen to be the Sorcerer Supreme, but this was never even mentioned in the movie. It is assumed that the title was passed from The Ancient One to Strange after her death. It is another small thing that die-hard fans may have wanted to see, but casual movie consumers probably would not have understood the symbolism.
6The Ancient One
Something that fans immediately noted as different even before theDoctor Strangemovie was released was theAncient One. Usually, in the comics, the Ancient One is shown as an elderly Tibetan man, given the location of Kamar-taj. However, the powers behind the MCU went with an interesting choice of Tilda Swinton. A bald Tilda Swinton.
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Tilda Swinton is a fantastic actress, but the casting was certainly a choice. The performance was good, and sheencapsulates the wisdom and whimsy, but the design was jarring compared to the comics.
5Magical Items Are Missing
Doctor Strange is adorned and assisted by many magical items: The Cloak of Levitation, The Eye Of Agamotto, Sling Rings……you name it. But what if that wasn’t all?
The Sanctum is filled with magical objects for use by the students and masters within, andit would be beneficial to have more of these show up to make for a really impressive show. Again, it makes sense not to pack a 2-hour movie with names and powers of (sometimes) inanimate objects, but fans already know Strange is a master of the mystic arts. Give him the full arsenal, especially now thatIron Man’s gadgets have……gone.
4The Sling Ring
There was, however, a specific magical artifact was added for the MCU film.The aforementioned Sling Rings never featured in the comics. In the film, the Rings allow the sorcerers to travel through portals in both the Earth dimension and others.
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The Sling Rings were likely made to explain how and why the characters were able to travel instantly, as they weren’t born with magical powers and it seems a mighty task to learn. Also probably because as previously mentioned, the Sanctum is a big fan of magical objects.
3The True Time It Took
Something that theMCUfilm definitely changed washow long it really took for Stephen Strange to learn how to use magic- and indeed, accept its existence. The movie supposes that Strange trains for around 18 months - a mere crash course in celestial manipulation.
It tookyearsfor him to master it all and get to grips withinterdimensional space travel, portals, and time travel. A long montage spanning years of reading books and studying wouldn’t have been the best entertainment, so it is understandable why it was thinned out so much.
2The Eye Of Agamotto
The glowing green amulet is a staple of both comics and screen adaptations of Doctor Strange.In the movie, it holds the time stone, one of the Infinity Stones so coveted by many villains, but in the comics, it is a separate entity that grants Strange many powers.
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The Eye Of Agamotto was created by a previous Sorcerer Supreme named Agamotto. It has previously shown more powers than just time manipulation, including telepathic capabilities and teleportation. The Eye was squished together with the Time Stone probably to save time and confusion on the part of people watching the film.
1The Cloak
Doctor Strange’s silly and silent counterpart, the Cloak of Levitation, is another thing that experienced a change from page to screen.Usually, it appears bland, with no personality.But in the film, it was almost “Disney-fied.”
While fans appreciate the comedic use of the floating friend, its origin is different. Originally, it was gifted to Strange after he defeated Dormammu. The cloak is seen to be in a glass case in the film. After it is freed, it chooses Strange as its master, and never leaves him again.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessis scheduled to release on June 21, 2025.
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