Did Marvel Foreshadow Doctor Strange’s Death?
The brilliance of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is its ability to adapt the fantastic world of Marvel comics to the big screen; could that mean that Marvel’s Death of Doctor Strange foreshadows the MCU’s Doctor Strange’s own fate?
Marvel Comics has recently teased a highly anticipated comic run that will see the final pages of one of its long-tenured and beloved characters; Doctor Strange.
A tweet from Marvel comics has begun the countdown for their September run that will end the comic book life of Marvel’s greatest sorcerer, Stephen Strange.
the Tweet reads, “The final saga of #MarvelComics‘ Sorcerer Supreme begins this September”
The final saga of #MarvelComics' Sorcerer Supreme begins this September. pic.twitter.com/9YBIStIfMv
— Doctor Strange (@DrStrange) June 4, 2021
The comic publisher is not new to comic runs that lead to the death of some of their most beloved stars. It has almost become a staple for these kinds of series to lead to a universe-altering event such as this.
Marvel Comics published a similar series in 2008, the Death of Captain America, that explored the incredible shift the universe faced after the death of one of its most beloved leaders.
The same publication tactic was used again in 2014 with their Death of Wolverine event. Not nearly as vital to the lifeblood of the brand, wolverine had still been one of the company’s most important stars; with the series highlighting his vitality by exploring his absence.
The question for MCU fans is what this Death of Doctor Strange run means for Benedict Cumberbatch’s Stephen Strange?
The answer isn’t as simple as many fans would hope.
Considering the previous example of Death of Captain America, Marvel didn’t specifically use that source material for Steve Rogers MCU exit.
The original story saw Rogers assassinated, with Bucky and Sam Wilson struggling on how to carry on his legacy with the grief of his absence.
With that being said, though that Steve Rogers’ fate was not shared with his MCU counterpart, it doesn’t rule out that the Death of Doctor Strange storyline could be one that sets the stage for a cinematic interpretation of the same kind.
The MCU has prided itself on its ability to interpret the brilliant Marvel characters to a cinematic medium, while also staying true to the qualities on the page that made them so beloved.
Almost every MCU storyline was, in one way or another, inspired and informed by its Comic book predecessor; Doctor Strange’s demise is no different.
As of today, it seems plans for Doctor Strange’s death are well in the future. with Benedict Cumberbatch just finding his footing as an MCU mainstay, much of Phase 4 centers around his sequel film.
Confirmed to appear in Spider-Man; No Way Home, the character will be the primary force against the unraveling of the multiverse.
With Wanda Maximoff just tapping into her powers through the events of Wandavision, the characters will likely face a tremendous threat in Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness.
It seems as though the MCU is leaning on Cumberbatch and Doctor Strange to be a bridging force from Marvel’s pre-Endgame team, to what comes next for Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.
Either way, fans should keep an eye on the Death of Doctor Strange comic event, as the MCU may eventually follow the same unfortunate path as the character’s comic book counterpart.
time will tell what lay ahead for the Sorcerer Supreme, Doctor Strange.