User blog:ARTaylor/10 Years of Doctor Strange: The Sorcerer Supreme

This year marks the tenth anniversary of the release of Doctor Strange: The Sorcerer Supreme. Released on August 14th, 2007, it was the fourth film from Marvel Animation and Lions Gate Home Entertainment. Following The Invincible Iron Man, the film was the second and final origin story to be animated.



The story follows Dr. Stephen Strange (Bryce Johnson), a brilliant but egotistical surgeon. Following the death of his sister April (Tara Strong) on his operating table, he only takes on the most difficult of cases and refuses to help his colleagues. One night he sees a group of sorcerers attacking an enormous creature that no one else sees. Later, his colleague, Dr. Gina Atwater, informs him that their entire ward is filled with children with a strange disease that keeps them in a coma for no apparent reason. Strange returns home but a ghostly vision of the children which causes him to crash. He wakes in the hospital finding his hands badly damaged. He is unable to perform even the simplest of tasks and loses his job. He travels the world spending all his money but nothing fixes his hands. Eventually he throws himself off a bridge to end his life but is saved by Wong (Paul Nakauchi) who directs him to Tibet. There, he meets the Ancient One (Michael Yama) who has him perform basic chores. He grows angry and leaves. Ancient One shows him his past and tells him he would never have been able to save his sister. Strange then begins learning magic and martial arts from Wong. Meanwhile, Mordo (Kevin Michael Richardson) and the other sorcerers fight increasingly more powerful waves of enemies from the dreaded Dormammu (Jonathan Adams). Mordo grows irate with Ancient One over how to deal with the threat. When he is ready, the sorcerers bring Strange to the Sanctum Sanctorum and tell him of Dormammu. He realizes that Dormammu is responsible for the children's condition at the hospital, using the kids to escape into their world. He and Mordo go to the hospital to help the children, but Mordo betrays the others and sides with Dormammu. Mordo attacks the others and in an attack by Dormammu's most dangerous creatures Ancient One is killed. Strange takes the Eye of Agamotto and defeats Mordo. Dormammu uses the remaining children to arrive. Strange assumes the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme and uses the Eye to absorb Dormammu defeating him. Afterwards, Strange apologizes to Gina before making peace with his sister's death. He and Wong then begin rebuilding their ranks starting with a woman named Clea.



The film was written by Greg Johnson, Boyd Kirkland, and Craig Kyle while directed by Patrick Archibald, Jay Oliva, and Richard Sebast. Critical reaction to the film was been mixed but generally favorable. Some enjoyed the changes to the character's backstory while most felt that fans would be disappointed. The visuals and audio quality were commonly praised. Though some noted problems with the second act and the lack of development in Dormammu. Many critics feel that the movie is true in spirit to the comics. Many of the changes to the story from the comics were retained for the 2016 live action Doctor Strange movie.