Either Kevin Feige’s been listening to a lot of the Modern Lovers or maybe he just knows what the people want, because he’s suddenly happy to talk about the chances of a Doctor Strange movie hitting screens in 2012. This could be what we’ve been missing. Strange, once an arrogant surgeon and John Holmes look-alike, became Earth’s Sorcerer Supreme after an auto accident wrecked his hands, and therefore his livelihood.
Feige is “very, very interested” in the character. “I’d say in the next year, year and a half, as we start putting together our film slate for 2012 and 2013, I would not be shocked if we saw Dr. Strange on those lists,” he told MTV. “I love the idea of tapping into the magical realm of the Marvel Universe, which is fairly significant and hasn’t yet seen life on screen.” Not on cinema screens, anyway. Check out the embedded clips below for a taste of the ill-fated 1978 Doctor Strange television pilot.
Who can’t love this idea? Strange is like an East Village swinger version of John Constantine, but with half the personality. He’s been brought in as a day player so many times that he’s often just reduced to Marvel’s bland deus ex machina. He’s the only hero whose hideout is more arrogantly named than Superman’s: the Sanctum Sanctorum. He’s also got a ridiculous dance card of villains: Karl ‘Baron’ Mordo. The Dread Dormammu. Satannish! Besides, think of all the pretty colors we’d see onscreen as Strange traveled to and through the Astral Plane. And don’t forget that with this movie in the can we’d be one step closer to a Defenders film, and from there it’s just an ill-fated pitch meeting to gold: The West Coast Avengers!