Back in 2016, Marvel unveiled their latest superhero movie in the form of Doctor Strange. Starring Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Stephen Strange, it took the Marvel Cinematic Universe on a new journey where the focus was on magic rather than superpowers. Although, you could argue the results were one and the same. Doctor Strange was well received and Cumberbatch’s portrayal of the titular hero proved to be very popular.

Fast forward to 2022 and Benedict Cumberbatch has reprised his role as Doctor Strange in Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019), and Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021). We are now close to the release of the sequel Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and the hype is huge following the recent trailers and TV spots. Did you know, however, that Benedict Cumberbatch was not the first person to portray Doctor Steven Strange in a Marvel movie?

Media company CBS had made the original The Amazing Spider-Man and Incredible Hulk made-for-TV pilot movies that ended up being commissioned into ongoing TV series for both franchises. They decided to follow these up with a new made-or-TV pilot movie called, you guessed it, Doctor Strange. For the purpose of this movie, the role of Doctor Stephen Strange was played by Peter Hooten. In this version, Doctor Strange was a psychiatrist, rather than a neurosurgeon, who became the Sorcerer Supreme to safeguard the earth from Morgan La Fey, an evil sorceress from the fourth dimension. She was dispatched by an evil entity to kill a great wizard or get his successor to side with them.

Aesthetically, Peter Hooten’s Doctor Strange did carry some of the looks of what we have come to know and love in the comics and later cinematic releases. However, it just could not create the magic that had been present in The Amazing Spider-Man and Incredible Hulk. Clearly a product of its time, the Doctor Strange movie did not really meet the same standards that had been achieved with both The Amazing Spider-Man and Incredible Hulk efforts. The bar was not set very high necessarily, but this Doctor Strange movie was nowhere near it, which would explain why it was not then optioned into an ongoing TV series. The one thing it did, though, was channel some serious Hammer House of Horror vibes, especially with the portrayal of Morgan La Fey, played by Jessica Walter.

Interestingly, Stan Lee said that he had the most involvement with the Doctor Strange production and enjoyed it along with Incredible Hulk. He did not speak so highly of his involvement with The Amazing Spider-Man, which he referred to as a nightmare.

Outside of the modern-day Doctor Strange that we all know and love, there was also one more entry released in 2007. It was a little better known than our 1978 counterpart. Lionsgate released an animated movie called Doctor Strange: The Sorcery Supreme, which was the fourth entry in a series of what has become known as Marvel Animated Features. It followed Ultimate Avengers, Ultimate Avengers 2, and The Invincible Iron Man. The role of Doctor Stephen Strange was voiced by Bryce Johnson for this release. Doctor Strange: The Sorcerer Supreme was nominated for Best Home Entertainment Production of 2007 for the 35th Annual Annie Awards.

If you are feeling brave, it is possible to find the 1978 Doctor Strange on DVD. The 2007 Doctor Strange: The Sorcerer Supreme is definitely worth checking out. Are you familiar with these two Doctor Stranges? How do they compare with the wonderful Benedict Cumberbatch version in the current Marvel Cinematic Universe?

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