Marvel Takes Mind-Bending Turn With Doctor Strange

When Doctor Strange was introduced into the Marvel comics in 1963, it was considered quite a departure from his wildly popular and comparatively conventional predecessors like Thor, Captain America and Spider-Man. Doctor Strange was psychedelic, hallucinogenic, weird and, most importantly, a bold step in a new and freeing direction for the comics.

It’s not unlike the environment from which the new “Doctor Strange “ film, out Friday, is emerging. Starring Benedict Cumberbatch as the arrogant neurosurgeon turned mystical sorcerer, Disney, Marvel and everyone involved hopes that it’s as mind-bending and disruptive as the Steve Ditko-imagined comic was at the time. There have been 13 films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to date, but instead of going into autopilot for No. 14, “Doctor Strange” not only kicks the engine into hyper drive, but into a different dimension as well.

“Audiences need new images and I think visual effects are used too often to just blow things up and do the same familiar kinds of stuff,” said director Scott Derrickson. Best known for horror films like “Sinister” and “Deliver Us from Evil,” Derrickson faced stiff competition for the job, but won out over the others with his clear vision and deep fan appreciation. He explained to Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige that he wanted every set piece in the film to be the “weirdest” scene from any other Marvel film. It was what the studio was looking for, too.

“I was pleasantly surprised by how much it lined up with what they wanted,” Derrickson said. “They know that the (Marvel Cinematic Universe) and comic book movies in general have to evolve or they’re going to decline.”