When Marvel said they’re not doing anymore origin stories… we’re guessing they were crossing their fingers.
Marvel is the machine that just won’t stop moving. Even though production on Captain America: Civil War wrapped up not too long ago that only meant production on Doctor Strange would ramp up.
Like any good production, they’re getting the hard stuff out of the way first and doing all the location work at the start of shooting. They’re currently in Nepal shooting scenes and luckily some set photos have leaked that give us insight into how they’re handling the adaptation.
What’s in the set photos?
Check them out. Strange is clearly in Nepal and looking a little worse for wear:
There’s also a smart phone video:
What’s happening here?
Well, Dr. Strange’s background sees him as a world class surgeon (and kind of an arrogant jerk), who gets a rather large serving of humble pie when he gets into a car accident that cripples his hands (which explains the blue wraps on his hands in the video thumbnail). After exhausting all possible remedies for his hands, he decides to search for mystical healers in Nepal.
After all, the guy’s desperate to get his life back. Wouldn’t you be?
But, because this is a movie things doesn’t entirely go as planned. He encounters a being known as the Ancient One, who’s kind of this realm’s mystical protector. But, of course, there’s someone else who wants the power of magic: the Ancient One’s wayward apprentice Baron Mordo (Chiwetel Eljiofor). With that stage set, the story very much becomes a “with great power comes great responsibility” as Strange learns to devote himself to a cause greater than personal gain.
These photos in particular show what we believe is him searching for the Ancient One in Nepal. Notice the journal Strange is carrying around. He’s been doing his homework on the mystical world, but obviously he’s still in for more than a few surprises.
So, they’re doing Doctor Strange’s origin story.
Yes, it very much looks that way. Presumably, he’s going to clean up that facial hair and look something like this by the end of the film:
Anything else we should know?
Aside from Cumberbatch and Ejiofor, other notable cast members are Tilda Swinton (the Ancient One), Rachel McAdams (rumored to be the Night Nurse), and Mads Mikkelsen.
