Though he briefly popped up in Thor: Ragnarok, 2017 was a pretty quiet year for Benedict Cumberbatch’s take on the Sorcerer Supreme. That’s all set to change in May though with the release of Avengers: Infinity War, in which we’ve been promised that Doctor Strange is set to play a pivotal role.
Given that he’s currently wearing one of the Infinity Stones as a fancy necklace, you’d expect Thanos to be taking a particular interest in him – though with Doctor Strange 2 already confirmed, it’s safe to say he’s going to survive the film. But today we’re not looking forward to Infinity War, we’re looking back to the character’s debut, in 2016’s Doctor Strange, which received some of the best critical notices in the history of Marvel Studios and garnered a healthy box office take in the process.
One aspect that was universally praised was the movie’s kaleidoscopic visuals, in which the ‘real’ world folded, origami-style, into the ‘Dark Dimension,’ and the psychedelic intensity of big cosmic baddie Dormammu’s entrance. Now, courtesy of this gallery of concept art, we can see precisely how far Marvel Studios were prepared to go with their concepts – and I really want to know what’s going into the water supply down at Concept Art HQ.
Of course, this style is simply doing justice to the original summer of love influenced aesthetic in the classic comics, and boy howdy do they achieve it. I wouldn’t bat an eyelid if I saw some of the crazier stuff here hanging on a gallery wall. Seriously, it’s that interesting.
Avengers: Infinity War probably won’t go to depths this crazy, but I desperately hope we get a taste of that trademark Doctor Strange reality warping goodness and he isn’t just relegated to merely shooting red energy balls at baddies. Either way, there’s not long left to go until we find out.