Doctor Strange

Before he became the Sorcerer Supreme of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Strange took a much stranger path to the screen. Decades before Benedict Cumberbatch opened portals across the multiverse, Marvel's Master of the Mystic Arts was the subject of a made-for-television movie that attempted to introduce audiences to a world of magic, ancient powers, and supernatural threats.

In this series, Now Playing Podcast traces Doctor Strange's complete live-action journey, from the 1978 television film to his appearances throughout the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We'll follow the brilliant but arrogant surgeon Stephen Strange as he transforms into Earth's foremost defender against mystical dangers, battling dark dimensions, reality-bending villains, and threats that exist beyond time and space itself.

Along the way we'll explore magical artifacts, alternate realities, multiversal chaos, and the increasingly important role Doctor Strange plays in the larger Marvel saga. From low-budget television experimentation to blockbuster spectacle, these films showcase how one of Marvel's most unusual characters evolved into a cornerstone of the MCU.

Join us as we step through the portals and venture into the weird, wonderful, and often mind-bending world of Doctor Strange.