Doctor Strange Trailer 2: The Top 5 Reveals

Marvel Studios is not one to shy away from taking a risk or two, and that policy has brought them major successes like Guardians of the Galaxy. For a new trick, Marvel will try to broach the realm of magic and metaphysics, in their first fall season release, Doctor Strange.

The first Doctor Strange trailer captivated fans’ imaginations with an mind-bending, Inception-style concept trailer, which briefly introduced Doctor Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), as well as his mentor The Ancient One (Tilda Swinton) and the mystical powers that help to govern our reality. With this new Comic-Con trailer, we get more of Doctor Strange’s evolution form injured surgeon to Sorcerer Supreme, with many fun revelations along the way.

Here are the Top 5 Reveals from the Doctor Strange Comic-Con Trailer.

The Marvel Multiverse

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has presented us with advanced technology (Iron Man) genetic experimentation (Captain America, Hulk), alien species (Guardians of the Galaxy, Thor) and even the mysteries of a sub-atomic universe (Ant-Man). But with Doctor Strange, the MCU will venture into new territory: Multi-dimensional metaphysics.

We’ve already confirmed with Doctor Strange director Scott Derickson that the film will mark the official beginning of the Marvel Multiverse; and once that happens, the possibility of telling fantastical Marvel stories onscreen will know no limits. Want the X-Men to finally join the MCU? Doc Strange’s Multiverse magic could help make it happen.  

The World of the Ancient One

The Ancient One has been a hard character for Marvel to work around. In the comics, The Ancient One was the veritable racist stereotype of an old, wise, Asian monk; so naturally recasting the character as a slightly androgynous figure played by Tilda Swinton was seen as an attempt at modern cultural sensitivity – even if some fans don’t quite see it that way. 

Similarly, The Ancient One’s home of Kamar-Taj was, in the comics, located in the hills of Tibet – but since Tibet is now such a political minefield, Kamar-Taj is likely being relocated to a more generic mountain location. Of course, the actual aesthetics of the Ancient One’s world (set design, costumes) look pretty great – as do the magical powers we’ll see at work in Kamar-Taj. 

Magic Helpers

This new Doctor Strange trailer shows us that Stephen Strange won’t have the battle to protect our realm from magical threats resting entirely on his shoulders; Doc Strange will have a posse of magic warriors to roll with, and this second trailer focuses on two of them in particular: Wong (B.D. Wong) and Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor). 

Fans know that these two characters have particular importance in Doctor Strange lore: (Mild SPOILERS!) In the comics, Wong becomes Doctor Strange’s personal assistant and confidant, working with him in his New York sanctum. Mordo, on the other hand, betrayed The Ancient One, trying to become Sorcerer Supreme in place of Strange. Hardcore Marvel fans expect that both of those storylines from the comics will happen in the movie. 

Mads Villains

Like so many superhero blockbusters these days, Doctor Strange is playing it close to the vest when it comes to revealing the villain(s) that our hero will battle in the film. So far, we’ve seen Hannibal star Mads Mikkelsen as Kaecilius, a former disciple of The Ancient One who succumbed to evil; however, some Marvel fans think that Kaecilius is just a red herring. 

It’s likely that at some point Chiwetel Ejiofor’s Baron Mordo will show some villainous colors. Some hardcore fans suspect that both men (Mordo and Kaecilius) could be under the sway of a more iconic Marvel villain like Dormammu, a demonic entity that is one of Doctor Strange’s greatest foes. 

Strange Magic

One distinct advantage that Doctor Strange trailer 2 has over its predecessor is that it actually shows us the magical powers the Sorcerer Supreme will use in his battle to protect our realm from evil. The basic spellcasting has a crystalline hologram rune aesthetic that doesn’t look half bad, and action scenes between dueling sorcerers look exciting. 

In addition, this trailer focuses in on some of the artifacts that Doctor Strange will be using, like the Cloak of Levitation (pictured above) which allows him to fly. Hardcore fans are also keeping an eye out for other famous Marvel magic artifacts to appear in the film, such as The Eye of Agamotto, which could have major potential crossover with other Marvel franchises, like Thor.