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Admittedly, there have been a litany of superhero films (Strange and Marvelous) in the MCU that have been considered either amazing or average based upon the general public’s reception or whether or not the movie has been viewed differently inside of its fan base.
There is, however, one MCU film that seems to be glossed over in the continuum of the saga is Doctor Strange. One might think of Thor: Dark World when talking about overlooked films but it’s definitely this 2016 film.
It’s no lie that the film was positively received and added a long-awaited superhero to the MCU canon that had fans excited for when it landed in movie theaters. However, it still felt like, after some years passed, that it didn’t get the credit that it truly deserved as a superhero movie.
Here is why Doctor Strange is the most overlooked MCU film.
Disclaimer: This article reflects the author’s views.
Why Doctor Strange is overlooked?
It didn’t make the money people thought it would
Given that the film had a budget of around $236 million and only made about $680 million, it would be a fair assumption that this film was a disappointment in comparison to its other MCU films in the pantheon.
Since a handful of MCU films have gotten much better box-office receipts, it’s a wonder why this film didn’t get the same amount of negative press about its box-office performance after its release. That only begs the question as to why the same number of people didn’t see the film the same way they rushed to see Black Panther or Captain Marvel.
The film was obviously hyped, but it seemed that, to put it simply, the character Doctor Strange wasn’t as compelling as Captain Marvel or the Black Panther that came after it and wanted to see more of the Avengers or Spider-Man on screen. Of course, that doesn't mean that the movie was bad.
Dormammu is underrated
After Loki and Ultron were defeated by the Avengers and before the rise of Thanos, the titular hero had to fight off Dormammu and keep him from destroying the Earth. As a way to stall the overpowered supervillain, the hero holds him in a time loop using the time stone. The hero is consistently pummeled and beaten by Dormmamu, but the heroic doctor has the upper-hand, since he has time on his hands.
In the end, the sorcerer supreme makes a deal with the multi-colored baddie and has him leave Earth with his cronies.
Obviously, Dormammu has very little screen time and lacks a lot of personality when compared to other villains, but it would be a breath of fresh air to see him fight Strange again in a future film with more of a developed character arc.
Strange’s journey is noteworthy
One thing that remains stagnant throughout the years since the release of the film was Strange’s arc. He started out as a brash and arrogant neurosurgeon until he was in a horrific car accident, which caused his career to be put on an indefinite hold.
He comes across a tribe of people that have learned the art of self-healing and much more through the use of mystic arts.
The doctor's journey seems more emotional as it is about a man who has everything taken away from him. He is able to rebuild himself with nothing but his will to believe and manifest that he can achieve the impossible. Fans root for him as much as they laugh with him at his jokes, which makes for a perfect superhero arc.
