Doctor Strange: Why Scott Derrickson Loves The Character

Even though Doctor Strange is one of the most powerful characters in the Marvel universe, he has never quite reached the popularity of Iron Man, Captain America, Spider-Man, The Hulk, the X-Men, or the Fantastic Four. Part of the reason behind that probably has to with the general public not being ready to embrace the mysticism and spirituality associated with the character ever since he was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko and first introduced in Strange Tales #110 (July 1963). However, not that we live in a post-Harry Potter world, people are very eager to consume anything magic-related.

And what truly sets Doctor Strange apart from the others comics is that it has utilized fantastical, psychedelic, and mind-trippy visuals to bring the magical and extra-dimensional elements to life. It's that unique look that fostered Scott Derrickson's love for the comic.

"My love for the comics, I think is probably ... I'll start by saying this. I think that, because I love the comics so much, and I grew up reading Marvel comics, and Doctor Strange is my favorite comic book character, probably," Derrickson told ComicBook.com and other press during a Doctor Strange set visit. "I think, honestly, the only comic book I would feel personally suited to work on. For me, it was, my long standing love for Doctor Strange comes from, first of all, the fantastical visual imagery of all the comics, particularly the early Ditko stuff, Into Shamballa, The Oath. A lot of the images that I have picked are from those three sources."

The Oath is the 2006-2007 5-part miniseries by Brian K. Vaughan and Marcos Martin (with inks by Alvaro Lopez). It is considered an essential read for Doctor Strange fans and has earned high-praise for its memorable visuals and entertaining character moments. In it, Doctor Strange in a race against time to find a stolen magical elixar that he believes will cure the cancer eating away at Wong, his loyal manservant. It also offers a fun spin on the Night Nurse character, who is depicted as being an underground source of healthcare for Marvel's superhero population.

Doctor Strange: Into Shamballa is a graphic novel from the creative team of J.M. DeMatteis and Dan Green and was published in 1986. The story sees Doctor Strange revisiting the home of his mentor, the Ancient One, only to be summoned by the Lords of Shamballa. These seemingly benevolent beings send Strange on a mission that will help usher humanity into a spiritual Golden Age but to do so requires the death of most of the Earth's population. Doctor Strange is left to contemplate whether the fulfilment of the few is worth sacrificing the many.

"Then, individual issues," Derrickson continued. "Thematically, the loneliness of that character, I always really liked, the idea of a character who had gone through so much trauma and was placed into a position between our world and other worlds, other dimensions. Literally, that's a lonely position. I like that. I think that, as I've gotten older, my continuing love for Doctor Strange has been that he is a character who transforms through suffering, and, for me, that's kind of the most powerful thing. He goes through this gauntlet of trauma and suffering, going all the way back to his childhood, in the comics, but, then, he appropriates that suffering in a certain way that limits him. Then, he goes through the loss of everything, in a really painful, unbearable way, and, eventually finds self-transcendence in something mystical. That's Doctor Strange to me. I love that, and I think that, again, getting to why I think I got the job, I think it's my genuine love for that that somehow connected to what ... I didn't know it at the time, but I think it really connected to what Marvel wanted the movie to be. When I came in, I talked about Doctor Strange in those terms, and, for me, it's like that's the only way I could make the movie, that and I had set piece ideas, already, about how to make the movie as visually weird in this day and age as the Ditko comics were at their time."

From Marvel comes DOCTOR STRANGE, the story of world-famous neurosurgeon Dr. Stephen Strange whose life changes forever after a horrific car accident robs him of the use of his hands. When traditional medicine fails him, he is forced to look for healing, and hope, in an unlikely place – a mysterious enclave known as Kamar-Taj. He quickly learns that this is not just a center for healing but also the front line of a battle against unseen dark forces bent on destroying our reality. Before long Strange – armed with newly acquired magical powers – is forced to choose whether to return to his life of fortune and status or leave it all behind to defend the world as the most powerful sorcerer in existence. Join Strange on his dangerous, mystifying, and totally mind-bending journey.

The cast features Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock, Star Into Darkness, The Imitation Game), Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave), Rachel McAdams (Sherlock Holmes), Michael Stuhlbarg (A Serious Man), Mads Mikkelsen (Casino Royale) and Tilda Swinton (The Grand Budapest Hotel).

The film is directed by Scott Derrickson (Sinister) and written by Derrickson, Jon Spaihts (Prometheus), and C. Robert Cargill (Sinister).

Marvel's Doctor Strange is produced by Kevin Feige with Louis D'Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Charles Newirth, Stephen Broussard and Stan Lee serving as executive producers.

Marvel's Doctor Strange will cast a spell on audiences November 4, 2016.