What Needs To Happen For Doctor Strange To Become MCU's Sorcerer Supreme

Doctor Strange is yet to become Sorcerer Supreme in the MCU - so what does he need to do to attain this rank? When Marvel Studios launched the MCU in 2008, they chose to build on a pseudo-scientific foundation that felt very similar to the real world. They were initially reluctant to embrace the idea of sorcery and magic, feeling it would fit uncomfortably into the wider universe; consequently, even Thor told Jane Foster he came from a world where science and magic were one and the same, alluding to Arthur C. Clarke's law that any sufficiently advanced technology would be indistinguishable from magic.

Spurred on by the success of Phase One, Marvel began to take risks in Phase Two. Thor: The Dark World alluded a little more overtly to sorcery, and then magic finally came to the foreground in Doctor Strange. This revealed magic had always existed in the MCU, but it had been practiced in the background by the Masters of the Mystic Arts, who had striven to defend the Earth from interdimensional threats. The Masters of the Mystic Arts were mentored by the Ancient One, Earth's Sorcerer Supreme, defender of this entire plane of existence.

The Ancient One died in Doctor Strange, and according to Wong, this means Earth is in grave danger. "You might have a gift for the mystic arts, but you still have much to learn," Wong cautioned Stephen Strange. "Word of the Ancient One’s death will spread through the Multiverse. Earth has no Sorcerer Supreme to defend it. We must be ready." He was clearly envisioning the talented Doctor Strange would be the Ancient One's successor eventually, but Doctor Strange has yet to attain this rank in the MCU. So what does he need to do to become Sorcerer Supreme?

What Is The Sorcerer Supreme In The Comics?

Eye of Agamotto Potential Sorcerers Supreme

In the comics, the line of Sorcerers Supreme began 1,000,000 years ago with a mystical being named Agamotto. One of Earth's first protectors, he was a member of a proto-Avengers team that included Odin the All-Father, the first Ghost Rider, Black Panther, and Moon Knight. Agamotto's background is something of a mystery, but toward the end of his career, he appeared to conclude Earth needed a permanent defense against magical threats. He struck a deal with the interdimensional beings known as the Vishanti for them to bless his successor as Sorcerer Supreme with power.

The Sorcerer Supreme is the bearer of the Eye of Agamotto, one of the most powerful magical objects on this plane of existence. The Eye of Agamotto possesses the ability to see into the very soul of every mystic in the universe, identifying which one is worthy to wield it and become Sorcerer Supreme. This isn't a matter of good or evil; past Sorcerers Supreme have even included the dark magician Kulan Gath, a cannibal who consumed the magic of others. Rather, it is about the responsible use of power. Precious few people attain the rank of Sorcerer Supreme for long; to be Sorcerer Supreme is to be Earth's first line of magical defense, confronting all threats to this plane of existence, and the title is coveted by those who are unworthy of it. No Sorcerer Supreme ever gets to retire; they always meet with an ignominious end, or else are forced to cross a line that makes them unworthy, with the Eye of Agamotto moving on.

There have been two separate accounts of how Doctor Strange became Sorcerer Supreme in the comics, and they are slightly contradictory. The first was seen in 1973's Marvel Premiere #10, when Strange realized the demonic entity Shuma-Gorath had bonded with his mentor, the Ancient One. Strange was left no choice but to break his Hippocratic oath and kill the Ancient One to prevent Shuma-Gorath from conquering this entire plane of reality. He did this by destroying the Ancient One's sense of ego, which meant he lost all sense of self - and in death bonded with the universe itself. Speaking in a vision, the Ancient One appointed Strange the new Sorcerer Supreme in his stead, conveying the blessing of the Vishanti. A second version was published in 1989 in the Marvel graphic novel Doctor Strange & Doctor Doom: Triumph & Torment. This saw Earth's most powerful mystics convened by the Vishanti to participate in a trial, with Doctor Strange and Doctor Doom eventually going head-to-head. This story claimed the Vishanti had themselves never confirmed the Ancient One's decision, an attempt to fix the contradictions between the two stories.

The MCU's Doctor Strange Will Attain The Title In A Very Different Way

The MCU will have to take a very different approach when it comes to turning Doctor Strange into the Sorcerer Supreme of Earth. While the Eye of Agamotto existed in the MCU, the films reimagined it as a container for the Time Stone, and it was subsequently destroyed. That means the Eye never actually possessed the ability to peer into the hearts of men and women, as it does in the comics, and thus it was never able to evaluate a being's worthiness to become the Sorcerer Supreme. Meanwhile, the Ancient One's death took place in a completely different way from the comics, as well, and though Strange had one last conversation with her astral form, she did not appoint him her successor. "I never saw your future," she told Strange instead. "Only its possibilities. You have such a capacity for goodness. You've always excelled, but not because you crave success, but because of your fear of failure." This was definitely an inspirational speech to prepare Strange for the future, but he doesn't necessarily seem to have realized the Ancient One expected him to become Sorcerer Supreme. It's also possible she realized he wasn't ready and he had to come to that realization on his own.

Doctor Strange Must Face A Multiversal Challenge

Doctor Strange Multiverse Madness Dormammu Return

Doctor Strange went on to prove the Ancient One's faith in him was not mistaken, defeating Dormammu at great cost to himself. He spent an unfathomable amount of time in the Dark Dimension, and, as a result, his knowledge of magic expanded tremendously. But, clearly, this was not enough, because otherwise Strange would already have been considered the new Sorcerer Supreme by the end of his first movie. More likely, he will have to prove himself in another multiversal conflict, one akin to the nightmarish battle with Shuma-Gorath that led to his attaining the rank in the comics. It is surely no coincidence the Doctor Strange sequel is titled Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

Doctor Strange May Subsequently Face A Competition

It is possible Doctor Strange will then be forced to face off against all his magical rivals, as in Doctor Strange & Doctor Doom: Triumph & Torment. But that was a test of character rather than of might, because calm and circumspection allowed Strange to pass the trial rather than mystical power. "Accept your role in life," the Vishanti declared, "and know that the Vishanti smile upon you!" Ironically, this subsequently forced Strange into an unlikely alliance with Doctor Doom himself, because as Sorcerer Supreme he was sworn to grant a boon to a rival. It would be fascinating to see this idea repeated in the MCU - although it is more likely Strange's rival in Doctor Strange 2 will be Mordo, rather than Doom.

Marvel's movies may be adapted from the comics, but they are actually quite loose adaptations. Doctor Strange took great liberties with the story of the man destined to become Sorcerer Supreme, and it's likely the sequel will do the same. It seems almost certain this will be the story of how Doctor Strange becomes the Ancient One's successor. It just remains to be seen how that will play out.

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