# Doctor Strange - seen it (open spoilers) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 26, 2016, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-strange-seen-it-open-spoilers/769784 "2016-10-26T16:16:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![LorieSmurf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a587f6/32.png) [@LorieSmurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LorieSmurf)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2016, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-strange-seen-it-open-spoilers/769784/21 "2016-11-05T04:21:27Z")
I liked it. He made a fantastic Dr Strange. In my opinion, his American accent wasn’t bad at all, it was just odd because it wasn’t Cumberbatch’s voice. It doesn’t resonate like his own sexy awesome British accent. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2016, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-strange-seen-it-open-spoilers/769784/22 "2016-11-05T05:24:33Z")
> [@smiling\_bandit](#): > > It still occurs after _Civil War_. There are various reason why Sitwell might have been aware of Strange before that. > > Edit: The movie refers to Rhodey’s injury during Civil War immediately before Strange experiences a slight detour. It was not Rhodey. From the tech which is shown it has to be after 2010, the use of iPads. However his point blank refusal to even consider the possibility of other realms and dimensions is strange (pun intended)…for a citizen of New York aka the city where Aliens fell out of the sky, so perhaps it’s starts around 2011-2012? ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2016, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-strange-seen-it-open-spoilers/769784/23 "2016-11-05T14:39:36Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > It was not Rhodey. Even in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there ain’t many Air Force colonels who get spinal injuries in power armor. It was Rhodey. If it helps, this just moves the story into the future a couple years. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2016, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-strange-seen-it-open-spoilers/769784/24 "2016-11-05T14:46:17Z")
Doesn’t seem to make sense unless in the future Strange travels back in time and draws SHIELD’s attention somehow before he’s even become a sorcerer, which is just fan wanking. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2016, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-strange-seen-it-open-spoilers/769784/25 "2016-11-05T14:51:43Z")
I went and checked a couple of sources, and apparently nobody knows, including the creators. So they added that line, which was blatantly referencing Rhodey, but then maybe moved it back a year to around Age-of-Ultron, unless they didn’t. But they’re extremely vague about it. It supposedly took Strange a year-ish to gain those skills - which would put the end of the film around _Civil War_, unless it takes place after Civil War and bridges the gap to Thor 3 (which also makes sense). On the other hand, can we really complain about this being vague in a movie where a Wizard Really Did Do It and which also features a… magical time-manipulating infinity gem? So my conclusion is that the film began after _Civil War_, and then timey-wimey wibbly wobbly had a big ending brawl before Age of Ultron and then ended when it was convenient for the running time. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2016, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-strange-seen-it-open-spoilers/769784/26 "2016-11-05T15:16:15Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > I shall reiterate. > > In _Winter Soldier_ SHIELD (I think it’s Maria Hill) mentions Stephen Strange as being somebody of interest. The only reason they’d say that is if he’s already demonstrating powers, not just because he’s an arrogant surgeon. IIRC, the whole point was that they were using a predictive algorithm to identify people who are threats “now, or in the future.” When asked, he elaborates: _“Your bank records, voting patterns, e-mails, phone calls; your damn SAT scores! Zola’s algorithm evaluates people’s pasts to predict their future.”_ In that case, Strange could’ve presumably gotten on their radar by just being a guy with off-the-charts smarts and some act-like-a-dick personality traits; he would’ve had the obvious potential for – okay, not “sorcery”, that’s a whole _'nother_ question; but someone with the inclination and ability to cause trouble. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2016, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-strange-seen-it-open-spoilers/769784/27 "2016-11-05T16:23:56Z")
It was a casual name drop to make nerds happy that does not in any way make sense retroactively. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2016, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-strange-seen-it-open-spoilers/769784/28 "2016-11-05T16:31:09Z")
Also, if there was ever a time to have a montage showing someone getting better at something it was during that time loop. He could have come out of there as the sorcerer supreme. ---
**Author:** ![Cyros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a698b9/32.png) [@Cyros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyros)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2016, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-strange-seen-it-open-spoilers/769784/29 "2016-11-05T20:35:16Z")
Just got back from the movie and I really enjoyed it. I thought it was a good origin story and a solid middle of the pack Marvel movie. Not as good as Winter Soldier, Iron Man, Guardians, or Avengers but on par or a bit better than Ant-man. I had a really good time watching it. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2016, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-strange-seen-it-open-spoilers/769784/30 "2016-11-05T21:01:30Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > There are some decently childish gags in it, but I wouldn’t take anyone under 12 to see it: there are some scenes that would be seriously disturbing for a young child. The film starts with a beheading, for instance. I stand corrected. My sister-in-law took the niece (10) to see it and she was fine. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2016, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-strange-seen-it-open-spoilers/769784/31 "2016-11-05T21:21:47Z")
I liked it. Like Guardians of the Galaxy, it opened up a whole new dimension to the MCU. GotG stretched out into space (more so than Thor did) and this into other Universes and Magic (again more so than Thor did). I liked that even though it was opening up a whole new world, the story felt smaller. And I especially liked he won by out thinking the Bad guy rather than out punching him. A few other observations: Looks like the MCU will be able to have a snarky genius even after Tony Stark retires or otherwise exists the MCU. I am 100% sure that first patient was supposed to be Post Civil War War Machine. To think otherwise is thinking to hard about it. Yes Sitwell mentioned him in Winter Solider but the whole point of why that plan was evil was they were casting a wide net. Strange was a world famous surgeon that made waves. I could see Hydra wanting him dead (they actually probably put out subtle feelers to see if they could recruit him first which he didn’t bite). There was a line at the very end of the credits against distracted driving. I thought that was nice. Until the very last post credit scene I thought the other Monk was going to remain a hero just a more unbending one. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2016, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-strange-seen-it-open-spoilers/769784/32 "2016-11-05T21:47:31Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > Until the very last post credit scene I thought the other Monk was going to remain a hero just a more unbending one. That may still be in the cards. Mordo is complicated, and he probably was neither lying nor mistaken when he said there was going to be a price to pay for Strange kicking natural law of the world in the face. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2016, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-strange-seen-it-open-spoilers/769784/33 "2016-11-05T22:06:47Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > BTW did anyone else hear Chiwetel Ejiofor kept on falling into a weird stereotypical Indian accent? Sounded like a Nigerian accent to me. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2016, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-strange-seen-it-open-spoilers/769784/34 "2016-11-05T22:15:57Z")
Oh, and the movie (or Strange’s part, at any rate) definitely starts sometime after at least the first _Avengers_ movie, because the _first_ time they show a view of New York, they show Avengers Tower (not Stark Tower) as part of the skyline (I remember because I called my wife’s attention to it). Can’t remember if that was opened at the start of _Age of Ultron_ or in an\* Iron Man \*movie… ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2016, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-strange-seen-it-open-spoilers/769784/35 "2016-11-05T23:31:17Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Oh, and the movie (or Strange’s part, at any rate) definitely starts sometime after at least the first _Avengers_ movie, because the _first_ time they show a view of New York, they show Avengers Tower (not Stark Tower) as part of the skyline (I remember because I called my wife’s attention to it). Can’t remember if that was opened at the start of _Age of Ultron_ or in an\* Iron Man \*movie… It was _Ultron_. While it would have been complete in the nebulous time before that movie, it couldn’t have been too long before since it doesn’t seem to have finished (or maybe even started) as of Iron Man 3. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2016, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-strange-seen-it-open-spoilers/769784/36 "2016-11-05T23:55:19Z")
I hope Marvel releases an official timeline to clarify this mess. ---
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2016, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-strange-seen-it-open-spoilers/769784/37 "2016-11-06T00:18:04Z")
> [@DigitalC](#): > > It was a casual name drop to make nerds happy that does not in any way make sense retroactively. Are you talking about the first instance in **Winter Soldier** or the reference in **Dr. Strange**? ---
**Author:** ![bobkitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c67d28/32.png) [@bobkitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobkitty)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2016, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-strange-seen-it-open-spoilers/769784/38 "2016-11-06T00:36:36Z")
From IMDb: > [@](#): > > Just before having the car accident, Stephen is on the phone discussing potential patients. One patient mentioned is a US army colonel who was injured testing some experimental armor. Despite the similarities, it is unlikely that this is a reference to the injuries sustained by James Rhodes, aka War Machine (Don Cheadle) Captain America: Civil War (2016) due to the time differences. The director Scott Derrickson has confirmed that “by the time you’ve gone through his journey and you’re into the second half of the movie, it’s present day.” meaning that the incident mentioned must have taken place at least a year ago. Not to mention that James Rhodes is clearly a lot older than the 35 year old described. Some believe it is more likely that this refers to one of Justin Hammer’s experiments in Iron Man 2 (2010) but Stephen Strange has a gold plat which reads “2016”. Also the car he is driving is a 15/16 model Lamborghini Huracan. ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2016, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-strange-seen-it-open-spoilers/769784/39 "2016-11-06T00:59:09Z")
IMDB’s trivia section is not some voice of authority. It’s essentially a Wikipedia page that anyone can edit (in fact, in a slight tangent, I would point out it seems to have gotten dumber and less useful or interesting in the last few years). I’m a Star Trek fan so I can fully appreciate the fun of twisting stuff on screen to make things fit but every movie in the MCU besides the first CA has been basically chronological (barring well labeled Flashbacks) and I am positive that line was supposed to be a reference to Civil War. Hell you can even still say Steven trained for years because we know they can manipulate time. Who’s to say they didn’t do years worth of lessons that in real time only took weeks? ---
**Author:** ![bobkitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c67d28/32.png) [@bobkitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobkitty)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2016, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-strange-seen-it-open-spoilers/769784/40 "2016-11-06T01:06:29Z")
I would think the confirmation from the director about the timeline would count as a voice of authority. ETA: Here’s the full quote: [http://screenrant.com/doctor-strange-director-timeline-illuminati-sequel/](http://screenrant.com/doctor-strange-director-timeline-illuminati-sequel/) > [@](#): > > During the course of the interview, he was asked about how the movie fits into the larger timeline of the MCU. According to the director himself, it appears that the movie could be told over the course of a few years, after his namedrop in Winter Soldier, but it will eventually catch up to present day: > > The ‘Winter Soldier’ reference [to Stephen Strange] was just recognizing his incredible aptitude. He’s got a photographic memory, which is an incredibly rare thing, but he’s not a sorcerer at that point, so the movie you’re watching [‘Doctor Strange’] leads up, and by the time you’ve gone through his journey and you’re into the second half of the movie, it’s present day. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-strange-seen-it-open-spoilers/769784.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/doctor-strange-seen-it-open-spoilers/769784.md?page=3)