As you probably have already assumed, Stephen Strange will be the star of the show when Doctor Strange hits theaters. Benedict Cumberbatch's Sorcerer Supreme is going to take center stage to bring magic into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and we're incredibly excited to see what he does with this story. However, he won't be the only hero in this film. Director Scott Derrickson recently took to Twitter to address the upcoming adventure, and he heaped enormous praise on the movie's unsung hero: Dr. Christine Palmer.
When praised by a fan for his handling of Rachel McAdams' Christine Palmer in Doctor Strange, Scott Derrickson chimed in to admit that he considers Dr. Palmer to be the true hero of the story. Despite the fact that she doesn't know magic and she doesn't personally face off against forces from another realm, she's responsible for saving a number of lives. That makes her a genuine hero.
Praise for Christine Palmer appears to be fairly widespread in the early days of Doctor Strange's theatrical run. Marvel films have had a bit of trouble giving non-hero female characters anything substantial to do (look no further than Pepper Potts) but McAdams' character seems to have really changed that. She's a legitimately capable medical professional who adds to the plot of the film in a meaningful way, and doesn't take any B.S. from the titular Sorcerer Supreme.
That being said, this seems like a good opportunity to point out that Christine Palmer likely won't actually become any sort of code-named hero at any point during the course of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Over the course of the last few weeks many Marvel fans had started to theorize that the MCU was grooming Palmer to become an iconic Marvel character known as Night Nurse. However, Kevin Feige recently shot down that theory, and it now seems more likely than ever that the role of Night Nurse will indeed go to Rosario Dawson's Claire Temple from Netflix's Defenders universe.
While the trailers for Doctor Strange have focused quite heavily on the presence of magic and otherworldly chaos, they still have taken brief moments to highlight the everyday heroism of Christine Palmer as well. Check out one of the trailers below to see for yourself.
With the American release of Doctor Strange on the horizon, it seems more likely than ever that the film will serve as a celebration of all forms of heroism. Christine Palmer is an authentic and relatable hero, and she bodes quite well for the future of female characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Doctor Strange will blast its way into theaters on November 4. Stay tuned for more details!
