Regardless of what one might think of the individual films released by Marvel and DC this year, there is no question that Marvel Studios remains the market leader, at least for now. Despite seemingly constant speculation as to what will finally be the MCU entry to do poorly enough that a chink shows in the franchise's armor, it never seems to happen. Oddball, non-mainstream Marvel characters that many thought would never catch on with the masses like Guardians of the Galaxy and Ant-Man starred in films that did well both critically and financially, to the point where both are getting sequels.
The latest non-standard entry into the MCU is Doctor Strange, another character well-known to comic fans but with almost no general pop culture profile prior to the announcement of his debut solo film. Played by Benedict Cumberbatch, Strange resides on the more supernatural, mystical end of the Marvel spectrum, and will introduce magic to the MCU at large.
As the Doctor Strange hype train continues to roll along, EW has revealed a new poster for the film that features the titular Sorcerer Supreme rendered entirely in LEGO. This is a prime example of corporate synergy, as while Strange is only now making his MCU debut, he's already appeared in LEGO form as a hidden character in the 2013 video game LEGO Marvel Super Heroes. Check LEGO Strange out in all his blocky glory below:
Appropriately enough for the first MCU film to delve into the supernatural side of things, Doctor Strange is directed by Scott Derrickson, a filmmaker known previously for helming creepy horror movies like Sinister and The Exorcism of Emily Rose. While Strange is certainly not a horror flick in overall tone, it definitely spends some time on the darker side, as seen in some of the mind-bending sequences presented in trailers and advance clips. Derrickson's horror genre sensibilities will likely come in hand when attempting to depict such otherworldly happenings.
With critics raving about the film so far, and box office projections looking good, there is no reason to expect Doctor Strange not to cement yet another previously lower-profile Marvel hero into the realm of a household name, and begin another successful sub-franchise in the main MCU chronology. In fact, Derrickson already has ideas for the sequel. The world will find out next weekend just how powerful of a spell the good Doctor manages to cast over audiences at large.
Source: EW
