Much like how Thor introduced extraterrestrial elements to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Friday’s Ant-Man will introduce the Microverse, 2016’s Doctor Strange will leave its own unique mark. When the film hits theaters next year, it will directly delve into the world of magic for the first time in this experiment. Although fans have seen various superpowers and bizarre technology used by the heroes and villains, magic is an entirely different beast, and according to one of the main stars, this will give the audience a different experience from Marvel's other cinematic projects.
While confirming that she will be playing The Ancient One in Doctor Strange, actress Tilda Swinton told Screen Crush that Doctor Strange will have a unique feel to it compared to the other Marvel movies. She said:
I’m a Marvel fan and I think this particular world that Doctor Strange goes into is really, really, really exciting. I’m really interested as both an actor and a fan to see what’s done in this particular world. It’s all about creativity. It’s not about everything exploding at the end. It’s about something very different.
Marvel hasn’t divulged any specific story details for Doctor Strange, but fans can likely expect a more unusual superhero offering. Last year’s plot synopsis mentioned that the movie would explore the "hidden world of magic," which includes alternate dimensions like the Astral Plane. While we will see the Sorcerer Supreme fighting various kinds of malevolent beings and rogue magic users, it’s unlikely that he will be fighting them the same way this universe’s superheroes do, i.e. engaging enemies on an actual battlefield with fists flying. Strange relies on his magical abilities and artifacts to fight evil, and often times these battles occur in these other realms where the laws of physics aren’t the same as they are on Earth.
In other words, Doctor Strange will likely be a much more psychedelic experience for moviegoers that may be lighter on the action, but still a fascinating story. All this being said, we can still look forward to the film maintaining connections to the rest of the MCU, such as a possible tie-in with overarching villain Thanos. It’s also possible we could see Strange lending his talents in the battle against the Mad Titan during the Avengers: Infinity War movies.
As far as Swinton goes, she is the second actor confirmed to appear in Doctor Strange, following Benedict Cumberbatch as the eponymous hero. Chiwetel Ejiofor will reportedly play the main antagonist Baron Mordo, and Rachel McAdams is rumored to be up for the lead female role. The movie begins shooting in November, so presumably we’ll get more casting announcements and verifications in the coming months.
Doctor Strange will be released on November 4, 2016.
