8 Ways Doctor Strange Is Basically The New Iron Man

If the healthy box-office numbers, warm critical reception and positive word of mouth are any indication, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has yet another hit on its hands with Doctor Strange.

That winning streak is rather impressive too, considering that head-honcho Kevin Feige was producing films like Daredevil, Elektra and Hulk a little over ten years ago. Fortunately, the company has learned from its failures, crafting a successful formula for their movies and a comic-book-to-screen process that has sent them to varying degrees of success for fourteen consecutive films over eight years.

And if you have a framework that guarantees you positive results time and time again, why would you change it? Doctor Strange is physical evidence that the studio lives by this mantra - visually, the movie is a breath of fresh air, but certain plot elements and a lot of its characters are about as Marvel as it gets.

This is most apparent when you look to our hero, Dr. Strange himself. Bearing more than a few minor similarities to a certain superhero that came before him, the character is a personification of what is likely to be Marvel's current train of thought: audiences love Iron Man but he won't be around forever, so let's give them something to ease that blow.

So, considering the fact that the MCU will one day have to replace its flagship hero, here are eight ways Doctor Strange is basically the new Iron Man...

You hardly need to have 20/20 vision to spot this one, but it contributes massively to the overall notion that Doctor Strange is intended to be Marvel's eventual replacement for Iron Man.

Audiences love Tony Stark, and he's instantly identifiable because of his look and style - even people who don't watch every single Marvel movie that comes out, or aren't in tune with the MCU in any way, shape or form will know that 'that's Iron Man!' from his face alone.

And the visual similarities he shares with Strange - the nearly identical Balbo-style facial hair, the tanned skin, the black hair, and even smaller details like both of them drawing power from a circular object placed over the middle of the chest - will make it easier for people, even subconsciously, to accept Strange as the MCU's new central character once Iron Man departs.

After all, audiences prefer something that's familiar. Just look to the mega-success of Marvel's tonally consistent movie universe compared to DC's more slapdash approach, for evidence.