MCU: 10 Mystical Behind-The-Scenes Facts About Doctor Strange

With trippy visual effects to rival Inception and a stellar cast including Benedict Cumberbatch, Benedict Wong, and Tilda Swinton, 2016’s Doctor Strange came out of the gate as one of the MCU’s most exciting and promising new solo franchises.

Now that Tony Stark’s character arc has ended, there will likely be a larger role for Stephen Strange in the MCU going forward, as he watches over the fabric of the universe. Director Scott Derrickson was incredibly passionate about the Sorcerer Supreme when he brought his origin story to the big screen. So, here are 10 mystical behind-the-scenes facts about Doctor Strange.

10 Benedict Cumberbatch Almost Couldn’t Make The Shoot

Benedict Cumberbatch was always the producers’ top choice for the role of Stephen Strange in the MCU. However, he almost had to turn it down, because he was committed to playing Hamlet on stage when Doctor Strange was supposed to start filming.

The second choice was Joaquin Phoenix, but he turned down the role as he was reluctant to make the multi-movie commitment required by the MCU. When Doctor Strange’s release date got pushed back from July 2016 to November 2016, Cumberbatch was able to make the shoot and took the role.

9 The Cinematography Was Inspired By Fantasia

Director of photography Ben Davis claims that one of the biggest influences on the cinematography of Doctor Strange is Disney’s wild animated romp Fantasia. Davis explained how Fantasia inspired the visual style of Doctor Strange: “It has a very psychedelic grounding…and I described it, I think, when I was talking to Marvel as Marvel’s Fantasia.”

Producer Kevin Feige has said that the conception of magic in the MCU was influenced by The Matrix trilogy, as well as the films of Hayao Miyazaki and Stanley Kubrick.

8 James Gunn Shot Stan Lee’s Cameo

Stan Lee’s cameo appearance in Doctor Strange sees him sitting on a bus, reading Aldous Huxley’s The Doors of Perception. This was one of four MCU cameos that Lee shot in one day.

James Gunn shot three of them: this one for Doctor Strange, Lee’s appearance as a Watcher in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, and a third movie that he didn’t name (although it’s speculated to be Spider-Man: Homecoming). They tried out a few different one-liners for Lee’s cameo and Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson chose the best one.

7 A Real Astrophysicist Worked On The Movie

Marvel Studios hired an astrophysicist named Adam Frank to work as a scientific consultant on Doctor Strange. He helped the filmmakers figure out how to depict humans going through changes in time and space.

Frank even suggested some lines of dialogue and viewpoints for the characters. The reality-bending scenes in which cities are folded and mirrored and warped were influenced by the mathematical artwork of M.C. Escher.

6 The Heavy Use Of CGI Caused Mads Mikkelsen To Lose Track Of His Scenes

Mads Mikkelsen said that while he was shooting Doctor Strange, he lost track of what was happening in his scenes, because there were so many CGI effects and green screens involved – especially in the scenes set in the Mirror Dimension.

Mikkelsen is the third Marvel actor to have played Hannibal Lecter, the previous two being Brian Cox from X2 and Anthony Hopkins from the Thor trilogy. Mikkelsen played the cannibalistic psychiatrist in an underrated NBC series.

5 Rachel McAdams Turned Down The Role Of Pepper Potts

Rachel McAdams, who played Christine Palmer in Doctor Strange, had previously decided against appearing in Marvel movies. Jon Favreau had offered her the role of Pepper Potts in Iron Man and she turned it down.

McAdams changed her mind about Marvel movies when they became the biggest movies in the world, and luckily, when she altered her stance, she was the producers’ top choice for the love interest in their next movie.

4 The Movie Has A Few Pink Floyd References

There are a ton of references to Pink Floyd hidden in Doctor Strange. When Strange is deciding which watch to wear, the band’s track “Interstellar Overdrive” can be heard on the soundtrack. When he breaks up with Christine, he’s wearing a t-shirt bearing the cover of Syd Barrett’s solo album The Madcap Laughs.

The references go both ways: Pink Floyd’s album A Saucerful of Secrets includes images of the Sorcerer Supreme himself, taken from Strange Tales #158, and there’s a reference to the character in the lyrics to “Cymbaline.”

3 Originally, Strange’s Sister Donna Appeared In The Movie

In the comics, the death of Stephen Strange’s younger sister, Donna, is what inspired him to enter the medical field and become a doctor. This was going to be portrayed in the film. Lulu Wilson was cast to play Donna and she even shot some scenes.

However, as the assembly cut was coming together and there were concerns about the movie’s runtime, all of these scenes were cut and it’s left ambiguous as to why Strange became a doctor.

2 Morgan Freeman Was Considered For The Role Of The Ancient One

The Ancient One is an Asian man in the comic books, so Marvel’s decision to cast a white woman in the role (Tilda Swinton) was very controversial. Some critics called it an example of whitewashing.

Kevin Feige and Scott Derrickson’s reasoning for the change is that they didn’t want the character to adhere to Asian stereotypes, but it’s possible to create an Asian character who isn’t a stereotype. Before settling on making the character a Celtic woman, such actors as Morgan Freeman, Bill Nighy, and Ken Watanabe were up for the part.

1 Wes Craven And Guillermo Del Toro Previously Tried And Failed To Get Doctor Strange Movies Made

In 1992, a Doctor Strange movie went into development with horror legend Wes Craven directing. Then, in 2001, David S. Goyer was hired to write and direct one. Then, in 2008, Guillermo del Toro pitched one. None of these projects materialized.

When a Doctor Strange movie finally started moving forward with the character’s introduction into the MCU, Marvel’s shortlist for directing it included Jonathan Levine, Mark Andrews, Nikolaj Arcel, and Dean Israelite. As a huge fan of Doctor Strange, Scott Derrickson spent his own money to create a concept video to show Marvel his vision for the movie, earning him the job.

About The Author

Ben Sherlock
(3476 Articles Published)

Ben Sherlock is a writer, comedian, independent filmmaker, and Burt Reynolds enthusiast. He writes lists for Screen Rant and features and reviews for Game Rant. He’s currently in pre-production on his first feature (and has been for a while, because filmmaking is expensive). You can catch him performing standup at odd pubs around the UK that will give him stage time. Previously, he wrote for Taste of Cinema, Comic Book Resources, and BabbleTop.

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