Doctor Strange’s Dormammu Deaths Made Him Stronger For Infinity War

Dormammu repeatedly kills Benedict Cumberbatch’s Stephen Strange in Doctor Strange, which ultimately helps in Avengers: Infinity War. The Marvel Cinematic Universe introduces Cumberbatch’s character in Doctor Strange, which serves as an origin story for how Stephen Strange becomes a superhero. In the film, a car accident robs Strange, a brilliant and renowned neurosurgeon, of using his hands. So Strange turns to other non-traditional means when traditional medicine fails, eventually meeting The Ancient One (Tilda Swinton), who turns his world upside down. Strange then learns about the Multiverse, the mystical arts, and the dark forces at work in the MCU, becoming a powerful sorcerer along the way.

Doctor Strange plays an integral role in the Avengers’ victory against Thanos (Josh Brolin) in the MCU. To do so, Strange visits more than 14 million possible futures in Infinity War, discovering there’s only one way to defeat the Mad Titan. He then becomes one of the victims of Thanos’ deadly finger snap, only returning after the Avengers reverse the snap in Avengers: Endgame. In that film, he reminds Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) that there’s only one way to defeat Thanos. The reminder prompts Stark to steal the Infinity Stones from the Mad Titan, sacrificing his life as he snaps Thanos and his minions out of existence.

Strange’s MCU journey prepared him for Infinity War and Endgame. Ahead of seeing one way to defeat Thanos, Cumberbatch’s character had to take on Dormammu, the ruler of the Dark Dimension, in Doctor Strange. The Dark Dimension is beyond time, so Strange ultimately defeats Dormammu by trapping him in a time loop. Time is a weapon Dormammu isn’t familiar with, and the monster repeatedly kills Strange until the time loop becomes too much to handle. Though he dies an innumerable amount of times, Strange ultimately bargains with Dormammu, convincing the monster to leave Earth alone. The act becomes an essential part of Strange’s role in the fight against Thanos.

Doctor Strange’s repeated deaths made him more powerful for Infinity War. Doctor Strange writer Robert C. Cargill revealed Strange’s Dormammu time loop lasted much longer than what’s shown in the film. According to Cargill, the time spent in the Dark Dimension helped Strange gain “more mastery” over his powers. By strengthening his magical prowess, the Strange that emerges from the time loop with Dormammu isn’t the same character. Though he can defeat Dormammu with the current mastery of his abilities, he’s much stronger by the end of the ordeal.

The fight with Dormammu also prepared Strange for his death. In Infinity War, the more than 14 million possible futures likely included more than 14 million possible ways for Strange to die. The repeated deaths from Dormammu made Strange more numb to the outcomes, allowing him to quickly skip past the Infinity War futures that didn’t result in Thanos losing. The Doctor Strange battle also prepped him for his actual death in Avengers: Infinity War. After all, Strange would probably prefer dying once as opposed to doing it over and over again for all eternity.

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Bill Bradley
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Bill is an experienced reporter who’s covered entertainment and fandom since 2014. He’s done everything from unearthing the discarded Game of Thrones pilot script in a library in Texas to finding out why Steve left Blue’s Clues. He also enjoys eating Taco Bell and drinking chocolate milk.

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