Doctor Strange Prequel Manga Coming This Month

Doctor Strange will soon bid farewell to Dormammu's dark world and take a long vacation to the Manga Dimension. Recently, Kodansha's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine confirmed it would include a one-shot Doctor Strange prequel in its next issue.

Titled "Doctor Strange: Episode 0," the manga will tell a short story about Dr. Stephen Strange before he was learned the mystical arts. The story is said to follow Strange during his early years as a revered neurosurgeon in New York City, so fans can except Strange to wear his best lab coat in his panels.

The Doctor Strange prequel will be included in an upcoming installment of Weekly Shonen Jump. The issue will hit shelves on November 22nd. Doctor Strange will then hit theaters over in Japan on January 27, 2017.

The manga will be illustrated by artist Haruichi. He released a statement about his work on the Doctor Strange prequel and said he approached the job with love. "The film itself has a 200 percent fun, but with the power of my manga, I want to exceed your expectation as much as possible. I will draw with all my love for Marvel. Look forward to it!"

This is not the first official manga prequel connected to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Earlier this year, Avengers: Age of Ultron got a similar treatment with its own "Episode 0" one-shot. The short story debuted in Weekly Shonen Jump and teased fans with the following synopsis:

"Tony Stark, the hero who is covered in wounds, is worried. Is continuing to fight really connected to protecting the one he loves? The special one-shot that will be continued in the film itself!"

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.

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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 now casting a spell on audiences everywhere!

[H/T] Crunchyroll, Anime News Network