Doctor Strange Needs to Go to Hell

Once upon a time, Doctor Strange was touted as Marvel Studios' first foray into the supernatural. In fact, Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige even said as much when he first revealed the movie during the studio's Phase 3 slate "dump" in 2014. As we saw in Doctor Strange and his three other appearances since, the character (played by Benedict Cumberbatch) has yet to really scratch the surface of the supernatural and horror fans were once promised.

That's why Dr. Strange needs to go to Hell. Literally. At the head of the Doctor Strange franchise is Scott Derrickson, a filmmaker who's well versed in the horror genre, directing films like The Exorcism of Emily Rose, Sinister, and Deliver Us from Evil. Not only that, but Derrickson himself has been pretty outspoken of his faith through his digital media profiles. Heck, he even minored in theological stories during his time at La Mirada's Biola University.

Admittedly, a Marvel superhero going to Hell is likely a hard sell to the movers and shakers up the ladder at The Walt Disney Company, but Derrickson's the perfect filmmaker to introduce such a bizarre and otherworldly concept to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We've seen these films go clear across the cosmos and we've seen them hop between dimensions yet one genre the shared universe has yet to tip its toes into is full-on horror.

Storywise, the introduction of a character like Mephisto would be an incredibly rich and complex arc that would prove just how deep Marvel's storytelling capabilities really are. Quite frankly, you wouldn't even need to introduce the devil himself either. There's been growing speculation that Nightmare will serve as the antagonist for Doctor Strange 2, and that's definitely a scenario Marvel could turn into a Hell-like scenario.

We've already seen a Hell-like set piece when Thor (Chris Hemsworth) was captured by Surtur and held on Muspelheim, so it wouldn't even need to be all too specific, just in case the censors get a bit uneasy. Either way, sending Doctor Strange to Hell is one way the Marvel Cinematic Universe can continue to introduce all-new concepts to fans hungry for innovative ideas.

Do you think Strange will ever go to Hell in the MCU? Why or why not? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below or by tweeting me at @AdamBarnhardt to chat all things MCU!

Avengers: Endgame is now in theaters for its second box office run ahead of Spider-Man: Far From Home on July 2nd. Captain Marvel is now available digitally and on home media release.