Adaptations
The upcoming instalment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Strange, is by no means the first time the character has made the transition from page to screen. He has appeared extensively on television, in video games, and in animation – variously voiced by John Vernon, Maurice LaMarche, Roger Rose, Jack Coleman, Liam O’Brien, and Yasunori Masutani.
In 1978, the TV movie Dr. Strange aired on CBS and was intended to be a pilot for a possible series. Stan Lee served as a consultant on the project, which was written and directed by Philip De Guere. It departed from the source material quite significantly, however, depicting Stephen Strange as a psychiatrist who must battle for the soul of Clea Lake during a transfer of power in Hell. It starred Peter Hooten as Doctor Strange, Jessica Walter as evil sorceress Morgan Le Fay, Eddie Benton as Clea Lake, and Clyde Kusatsu as Wong. It also featured John Mills as Lindmer – the original Sorcerer Supreme, according to this re-imagining.
Dr. Strange was never picked up for series by CBS, which already had The Incredible Hulk and The Amazing Spider-Man on its schedule at the time. Had that decision gone the other way, our perception of Doctor Strange might be somewhat different today. As it is, he feels very much like a wild-card – called forth from the margins of the comic book realm to bring a new dimension, both literally and figuratively, to an aging film universe. Will the Sorcerer Supreme succeed in his mission? We are about to find out, as Doctor Strange is released in the U.K on October 25th, 2016, and in the U.S on November 4th.
