By the time 2016 rolled around, it was clear that the Marvel Cinematic Universe was in an impressive groove. The success of The Avengers and Iron Man 3 proved they could put out billion-dollar hits, while the likes of Guardians of the Galaxy and Ant-Man showed that even less famous heroes could be the focal point of blockbuster films. In 2016, it was time to introduce a major character to the franchise who could help shape the future of the MCU and give us a look at the magical side of things.
That character was Stephen Strange, better known as Doctor Strange, played by Benedict Cumberbatch. The brilliant surgeon loses the use of his hands after a car accident and, in an act of desperation, seeks out the Ancient One to learn how to use mystical powers to heal. Along the way, he learns how to control those abilities to the point where he becomes the Sorcerer Supreme and one of the most powerful heroes in the entire MCU.
Doctor Strange ended up being a strong hit for the franchise and introduced us to the character ahead of important roles in the likes of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. The end of that movie saw Strange come up against a strong villain, yet the film went a unique route with their clash that was clever and helped Doctor Strange stand out from the pack.
Doctor Strange Vs. Dormammu Was Perfectly Done
Throughout Doctor Strange, the name Dormammu comes up several times. While most of the early interactions with an antagonist involve Kaecillius (played by Mads Mikkelsen), he’s a disciple of Dormammu. He exists in the Dark Dimension, which he rules over, and is an entity who seeks to absorb all other universes into his own. By the time the climax of the film comes up, the Dark Dimension is already starting to engulf this universe and it looks like the heroes are too late.
However, that’s when Doctor Strange uses the Eye of Agamotto to save Wong before entering the Dark Dimension himself. He comes face-to-face with Dormammu, who is a massive entity that is voiced and motion-captured by Cumberbatch himself, acting as something of a reflection of Strange. At first glance, it feels like it’s going to be a fight against a giant CGI monster of sorts, which is common in superhero movies.
Instead, Doctor Strange is immediately killed by Dormammu. It’s a shocking moment that becomes something completely different when we see time rewind and Strange walk up to Dormammu again, looking to bargain. We watch as Dormammu kills Strange over and over in different ways. Dormammu finally realizes that he’s trapped in a time loop with Strange. The idea is that as long as they’re stuck there, Dormammu can’t take over any universes.
Dormammu Vs. Doctor Strange Went Against Expectations
Doctor Strange’s decision to trap Dormammu in a time loop made this a totally different kind of climactic battle in a superhero film, which was remarkably refreshing at a time when we were seeing so many entries into the genre. One of the biggest criticisms lobbed at another superhero movie from 2016, Suicide Squad, was that the final act is just a fight against a CGI villain that didn’t exactly look great.
A year later, the worst part of Wonder Woman was her fight against a CGI monster at the end. The MCU also had issues with this over the years, where the final battle feels lackluster and just doesn’t look overly impressive. It looked like Strange would do the same against Dormammu, so it was great to go against expectations. Having him simply outsmart Dormammu was a nice twist, especially since it would’ve been hard to believe him besting such a powerful being in combat.
This Fight Proved That Doctor Strange Was A Different Kind Of Hero
With so many superhero movies released over the years, it feels like we’ve seen everyone manage to overcome the odds. As heroes, they’ll find a way to navigate a seemingly impossible situation and punch their way out of it. So, that made it stand out a bit more when we watched Doctor Strange not do that. Instead of overpowering Dormammu, he did something way different. It was refreshing to see someone use their wits rather than their magical abilities or their fists to win a battle.
This let the audience know that they can expect something unique from Doctor Strange going forward. It was especially different within the MCU, as we hadn’t seen someone mess with time or use magic to this point. Thor was overpowering people, while Captain America was using his bravery at every turn. This was someone who could use his brain over anything else, even his magical skills, and to defeat Dormammu, he combined those aspects for something great.
It Made Doctor Strange An Incredibly Brave Hero
One thing that tends to get overlooked with how Doctor Strange bested Dormammu is how brave it was. It wasn’t just a case of him trapping the villain in an endless time loop. It was the fact that Dormammu killed him over and over. The movie shows a handful of these deaths, which all looked painful, yet it never details how long he was there. The producers of the film have come out to say that it was intentionally left vague, yet it was long enough for him to gain mastery over his powers.
That means Doctor Strange had to be in there for quite some time. It could’ve been days, months, or even years, which was time he spent just dying over and over until Dormammu grew sick of it. It’s incredibly brave of him to go through that so often. He suffered for a ridiculously long time to save the universe. Fans don’t mention it a ton, yet it’s one of the bravest and most heroic acts in the entire MCU. This set the stage for why Doctor Strange would be such a big piece of the franchise going forward.
The clever climax of Doctor Strange ensured that Stephen Strange would go down as one of the greatest superheroes ever put to the big screen.
- Release Date
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November 4, 2016
- Runtime
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115 minutes
- Director
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Scott Derrickson