Poised to be number one for the second weekend in a row, Doctor Strange is clearly not weirding too many people out. Audiences seem to really be responding to the redemptive story of Stephen Strange and the crazy world he lives in. Doctor Strange was definitely setting some characters up for big things, but one who seems on the cusp of being a breakout star isn't even a person -- it's the Cloak of Levitation! The MCU's own Magic Carpet was a real scene stealer, and apparently a lot of that is owed to Guardians of the Galaxy.
For most of the cloak shots we used the same company that did Rocket on Guardians. Because we knew that we wanted the cloak to be a real character. They had done amazing work with Rocket on Guardians so we used them for that. I think it turned out pretty well.)
Stephane Ceretti has served as the special effects supervisor for both Doctor Strange and Guardians of the Galaxy and he recently sat down with IGN to discuss how his team approached bringing the trippy work of Steve Ditko to life. When it came to the Cloak of Levitation, Ceretti turned to Framestore to make the magical fabric feel like a real character. Framestore has some real experience in that department, having done the exact same thing for Rocket Raccoon and Groot in Guardians.
Rocket and Groot have become fan favorite characters in the MCU and after a few minutes audiences quickly forget they don't actually exist. Groot and Rocket have distinct mannerisms and the way they move and fill space is pretty incredible, so it makes sense that Framestore would be asked to do the same for a character that doesn't even have a face. The Cloak had a clear personality and its big scene with Strange was a delight (it even gets the biggest laugh of the film).
Stephane Ceretti goes on to talk about how they approached the Cloak, revealing they really only gave it a personality in the pre-viz stage of production. It wasn't deep in the script, but they decided to make its relationship with Strange similar to a horse and it's rider. When they first meet, the two don't see eye to eye and the horse takes over the rider. Then the two learn to work together as a team. That's pretty much the exact way it plays out in Doctor Strange, and I think it's safe to say that fans are patiently waiting for Marvel to announce the Cloak of Levitation's spin off.
If you haven't seen Doctor Strange and his handy dandy cloak yet, then head over to your local movie where Doctor Strange is playing right this very second.
