Every time there's a film adaptation of a comic series, the common complaint is that the film isn't quite as good as the original source material. Director Scott Derrickson knows this, and with Doctor Strange now in his wheelhouse, he knows that he has to bring his best game to the field. Thankfully, remarks from Derrickson point to him doing just that, as he's bringing the full Marvel Studios brand of magic to the origins of the Sorcerer Supreme.
Derrickson, the director of Sinister, and life long Doctor Strange fan spoke with theLos Angeles Daily News recently in reference to his Marvel adaptation. In that interview, he drew particular attention to two aspects that will please fans of the original comics: the trippy visuals, and his usage of top notch talent. More specifically, Scott Derrickson feels these aspects are his greatest asset, as he explains below:
If your love for the early Stan Lee-Steve Ditko comics was that visual, psychedelic ambition, I think you'll be pretty satisfied. The primary resource for the visual design of the whole movie came from those comics. I told them it should take a bold left turn, like the '60s comics. And I think they liked how I gravitate toward real actors, talented actors who are grounded in performances that are real, while dealing with the supernatural. That's why I've had great actors in genre films, which they usually don't do. And that was certainly the case with Doctor Strange.
While it may not have been noticeable in the first trailer, the more recent presentation of Doctor Strange's visual prowess has played heavily into the psychedelic nature that Scott Derrickson is promising in his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut. Reality's fabric is not only extremely malleable in the world of Stephen Strange's universe, it's also very geometric in the way it distorts. Even if you're not a fan of Doctor Strange's original comic incarnation, if you enjoyed the visual landscape of the film Inception, you'll probably digDoctor Strange, as it takes that sort of approach and dials it up to 11.
Of course, the visuals are nothing if the acting talent is absent, and Doctor Strange's eclectic cast is another reason the film is set to shine. In addition to Benedict Cumberbatch's leading performance as the good doctor himself, notable actors Tilda Swinton, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Mads Mikkelsen and Rachel McAdams all form an all-star roster of A-listers that are about to roam freely throughout the realms of dimensional being. Not only is this sort of casting part the magic that's made Scott Derrickson's films so memorable, it's also what's helped Marvel Studios become the well regarded juggernaut they are today. So naturally, Derrickson and Marvel are a match made in heaven, and we can't wait to see the end result of their pairing.
Doctor Strange explores the unknown world of magic on November 4th.
