Soon we will see the Marvel Cinematic Universe go to war in Captain America: Winter Soldier. Then we'll see it take a turn to the freaky in Doctor Strange. Of the two films, I'm definitely excited for . . . well both of them. However, after seeing the Strange trailer do some pretty, well, strange things I gotta admit I'm intrigued. While we've seen Captain America and Iron Man before, we've never had the pleasure of meeting Stephen Strange. My sincerest hope is that this film will be every bit as amazing and trippy as the trailer led us to believe. If it is, then we are in for a very different, very exciting new kind of Marvel movie.
I'll just go ahead and admit that the character of Dr. Strange is not my area of expertise. I got into the character a few years ago during the New Avengers and Dark Reign storylines. However, I've become a much bigger fan of the character thanks to Jason Aaron's and Chris Bachalo's current run on the book.
I've mentioned this before. You remember!
Unlike some comics numbered 1, I found this comic very easy to jump into. I didn't feel like I needed a lot of backstory or clarification on what was going on. Lots of comics when they get renumbered back to 1 are guilty of just continuing the story they were already telling. Granted, in some cases it's not so bad, but the whole point of the issue having a big ass #1 on the cover should mean that it's easy to jump in without a lot of previous knowledge of the character. Luckily, for someone like me, this comic made me feel like I knew this guy. I felt like I had been a fan for years. And it also got me really excited for the movie.
I was already excited for this film. I mean we have Benedict Cumberbatch as Strange who has never failed to impress me and Scott Derrickson directing. His films like Sinister and The Exorcism of Emily Rose scared the hell out of me! I knew he would be a good fit for Doctor Strange. Put the two of them together and I was definitely excited to see a different kind of Marvel movie. Because that's what we desperately need.
Now, I don't know much about the character but I do have a short wish list of what I'd like to see in this film.
A WELL DEVELOPED VILLAIN
So let's just get this out of the way right now. Marvel has a terrible track record when it comes to movie villains. They cast these amazing actors like Mickey Rourke, Ben Kingsley, James Spader, and Corey Stoll, then they don't give them much to work with. As an actor, that must be incredibly frustrating. I know I'm not the only one with this complaint. It's been Marvel's biggest problem since the first Iron Man film. Every once in a while they get it right, but mostly it seems like the villains are too easily defeated by the heroes and their motivations are not clear or flimsy at best.
With Dr. Strange I think we have a chance to turn that around. Strange has some (boy I'm gonna use this a lot) strange villains. Most are other sorcerers looking to steal his power or something like that. Others are demons from other dimensions. In this case, we can see a villain try to rise to power and Strange will have to work hard to try and stop them. The most powerful villains are the most frightening. Those are the ones that we believe can give the hero a run for their money. Not only that but when the hero triumphs, it feels earned and much more exciting. The Marvel films are great at having the villains with some sort of personal tie to the hero, but it needs to be more than that. The villain needs to be scary, but also relatable. It's not enough to say, "I hate you!" or "I want to take over the world!" We as an audience need more than that. Hopefully, this film will give us a unique villain.
AVENGERS CAMEOS BUT DON'T TELL US!
I miss the days when the title hero was the selling point of the film, as opposed to the cameos and co-stars. For example, Ant-Man had a cameo from the Falcon. While he did fit into that film, and I loved seeing him, I would have preferred not knowing that he was going to be in the film. His appearance was spoiled ahead of time by one of the TV spots. That really annoyed me because it ruined the surprise in the film. And the thing is, I didn't even watch that one! An internet headline about 3 weeks away from the film had spoiled it! I don't blame the headline, that's just them trying for click bait, I blame Marvel. Why bother spoiling that scene? It was one of the best in the film and I didn't really like that film! Ugh . . .
So listen, Marvel, if any other heroes or villains make an appearance in Doctor Strange please don't tell us! I'd rather be surprised to see Scarlet Witch or War Machine show up during the second act. These types of cameos are tricky to pull off because you don't want to take the focus away from the main hero but you also want to remind the audience that they are apart of the MCU. That's all well and good, and the more Avengers the better (if you ask me) but just keep it a secret. It will make me like the film all that much more I promise!
A HINT OF MAGIC USERS ACROSS THE MCU
One of the things that Guardians of the Galaxy did so well was give us a taste of the larger universe besides just the Marvel heroes and villains on Earth. I'm hoping that Doctor Strange will do the same thing with the magic users on Earth and beyond. Characters like Brother Voodoo, Ghost Rider, and Damien would be awesome to see in some capacity in this film. While it shouldn't be much, since this is Strange's debut film after all, I would love to see a hint of more to come. And let me be clear - I don't mean a sequel tease. I mean an actual nod or Easter egg that these characters exist already somewhere in the MCU. Also, it would be cool to give some sort of nod to Dr. Doom. Since Doom is still under Fox's lock and key (for God knows what reason) maybe a mention or hint of him could be alluded to without naming names. Hopefully by the time Doctor Strange 2 rolls around Fox will lend out some Fantastic Four characters and we can get a sorcerer fight between Strange and Doom. Now THAT would be an awesome film!
NEW YORK CITY
Ok so here's a strange (sorry) complaint, but bear with me for a moment. I've never felt like any of the Marvel heroes had a home. Daredevil and Jessica Jones both did a great job of making New York City feel like a supporting character in their films. The Sam Raimi Spider-Man films and even the Amazing films also did a great job of making New York feel like part of the story. Iron Man took place in Los Angeles, Winter Soldier was in DC, and the first Avengers was (mostly) in NYC. However, I never felt like the cities in question were a part of the story. Stan Lee lived and breathed New York. That's why all his stories took place there. He and his artists knew the city very well. Most of the Marvel movies could take place anywhere and we wouldn't know the difference. However, I think it's important to a character that he have roots in his city so when he fights for it, it's an honest fight. He's willing sacrifice himself not just for humanity but for his home. Since a lot of the filming took place in New York, I'm hoping to see the city become part of the story as more than just a location. Think of it this way, Ghostbusters wouldn't be the same if it took place in Los Angeles or Chicago or anywhere else. The location can add flavor and excitement to the film. That's what I'm hoping to see. Also, I just freaking love New York so much . . .
I haven't been a Stranger for very long (I just made up that nickname btw), but I am really digging the new series and it's made me so excited for the upcoming movie. In a way, it feels like the first Iron Man film. Back then I didn't know much about the character but I was still excited for the film. The difference now is that I'm actively reading the comic books in anticipation for the film. I'm sure we'll all be in for something really . . . (last one I promise) strange . . .
Till Next Time!
JJ - The Comic Junkie!
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