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8 Reasons Doctor Strange Is Ready for the Marvel Cinematic Universe
Doctor Strange makes his Cinematic Universe debut in Marvel Studios' latest film. You can check out our review here.
The character made his comic debut in 1963 and explored the strange corners of the Marvel Universe. With a similar approach, Doctor Strange gives us a different kind of superhero movie. It was confirmed that the good doctor will appear in 2018's Avengers: Infinity War. This means we'll see the mystical magician interact with the other big-screen heroes. The Sorcerer Supreme often took part in solo missions, but here's eight examples where he teamed up with other heroes.
In 1964's Strange Tales #123, Doctor Strange teamed up with Loki to take on Thor. You're probably saying, "Isn't Loki a bad guy and Thor a hero?"
Loki sensed Doctor Strange's power could help him defeat his-half brother. Being mischievous and full of lies, he came up with a story to get Strange to help him out.
Loki had a sliver of leather from the hilt of Thor's mystical hammer, Mjolnir. Strange was able to use his magic to grab it while Thor was in mid-flight. Upon further examination, Strange was able to sense the sliver did not contain any evil. This made him realize Loki was up to no good. He and Loki began a mystical duel, but Loki fled back to Asgard when Thor approached Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum.
In 1971, Doctor Strange needed help taking on a major threat. He enlisted Namor, the Sub-Mariner first. The Silver Surfer was next on his list. Unfortunately, the Surfer knocked himself out when trying to escape the force field Galactus placed around Earth to contain him as punishment. Time was running out, so Doctor Strange was only able to enlist the Hulk to join them.
It wasn't the smoothest fight, but the heroes won. The three did team up again with the Silver Surfer later joining them.
Doctor Strange sometimes partnered with other heroes. In 1974's Marvel Team-Up #21, Strange was surprised when Spider-Man suddenly showed up at his Sanctum Sanctorum. Spider-Man had been placed under a spell by Xandu to steal a gem from Strange.
Strange and Spider-Man were teleported to another dimension. They used their wits and powers to fight and defeated Xandu.
Doctor Strange didn't just team up with Spider-Man and the Defenders. Strange and Luke Cage fought Plantman together. With Doctor Strange living in Greenwich Village and Luke Cage hanging out in Hell's Kitchen and Harlem, it would be easy for one of them to take a cab to fight along side the other in a movie or Netflix series.
In 1993, Doctor Strange decided he needed different heroes to fight forces from beyond. Rather than form a team with a set roster, he looked to his tarot cards and selected individuals best suited for the fight.
Strange's first team of Secret Defenders consisted of Wolverine, Nomad, Darkhawk, and Spider-Woman (Julia Carpenter).
Doctor Strange doesn't settle just for heroes in fighting the good fight. The Punisher has his own rules when it comes to dishing out justice, and Strange was willing to tolerate Punisher's tactics since the cards called for him to be part of the mission.
Doctor Strange and Punisher do seem like an odd pairing but the two are currently teaming up again in Doctor Strange/Punisher: Magic Bullets.
The Punisher is a loner in his one-man war against crime, but even Frank Castle knows sometimes you have to seek assistance from others. He shows up on Strange's doorstep and asks for help.
If Doctor Strange's Secret Defenders weren't secret enough, he was also part of the Illuminati. This was a clandestine group consisting of the smartest and most influential heroes in the Marvel Universe. Doctor Strange met with Iron Man, Professor X, Mister Fantastic, Black Bolt, and Namor in secret and worked behind the scenes on several missions.
Could Doctor Strange ever be part of the Avengers on the big screen? He was a big part of the New Avengers after the first superhero Civil War. With Luke Cage, Spider-Man, Spider-Woman, Wolverine, Iron Fist, and Hawkeye, they fought despite the fallout of the Super-Human Registration Act.
The New Avengers even used the Sanctum Sanctorum as their headquarters. Using a spell, the building appeared to be boarded up and listed as a future site for a Starbucks. It was a handy ability and could help prevent their headquarters getting attacked by enemies.
Doctor Strange's magical roots may set him apart from the other heroes in the Cinematic Universe, but different can be good. We'll have to wait and see what the doctor's future with other heroes has in store.
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