Dr. Strange is the second film to debut as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s “Stage 3”, and it did not fail to amaze. From great characters to development to incredible special effects, along with a smooth, rather than forced, introduction of new antagonists to pave the way for future films, Dr. Strange exceeded fan expectations across the board.

    One thing that the movie does very well is characterizing Strange early on. While it is made clear that he is a very intelligent and skilled individual, which his major success as a surgeon can be attributed to, it is also shown that Strange is extremely egotistical and smug. For example, in one scene, Strange successfully removes a bullet from a man’s brain using only his hands, but does so in a way that is clearly intended to cause his peers to marvel at his expertise. Moreover, after the accident that resulted in nerve damage to his hands, rendering them useless, Strange lashed out at his colleague and former partner, Christine Palmer. While she was going to extreme lengths to help him, Strange did nothing but pity himself, lash out at her, and displayed no gratitude, eventually causing her to refuse helping him any longer.

    Furthermore, the film does a great job setting up films/plots to come, while also introducing the many new aspects of the universe to the MCU, such as the multiple dimensions, Eye of Agamotto/Time Stone, and the film’s main antagonist, Dormammu, the Lord of the Realm of Darkness. The introduction of these things allow the MCU to expand in ways previously impossible. The Eye and Time Stone connect Strange to Thanos, as Thanos is seeking all of the stones to put into the gauntlet, meaning he will have to take it from Strange. Additionally, Dormammu’s debut enables Marvel to dispose of Thanos when they see fit, as Dormammu is more than powerful enough to be an enemy of the entire MCU.

Dr. Strange proved itself a fantastic movie for anyone who may be interested in Sci-Fi, superheroes, and even comedy (although comedy plays a minor role), and I’m excited to see how the MCU will move forward with Strange, Dormammu, and the multiple dimensions.