Doctor Strange: 22 Secrets Revealed By The Director's Commentary

Feb 17, 2017 February 17th, 2017

2. Derrickson Shot Something Specifically For The Trailers

Doctor Strange Cape.jpg — Marvel Studios

There's sort of a received wisdom idea about trailers these days: they're shot by an external marketing team, picking out choice parts of the film to sell it without the luxury of context. Sometimes it works marvellously and everyone is tricked into thinking Suicide Squad is actually good, but it must be frustrating for directors who have no say in what is shown.

Derrickson confirms that he actually played into the trailer makers hands a little, as he says he reshoot the end scene of Strange walking up the stairs, cloak billowing to add slow-motion, thinking it would make a good shot for the trailers. He thought right.

1. Wong Is Still More Powerful

Doctor Strange Benedict Wong — Marvel Studios

While Strange does appear to be one of the masters appointed to protect the New York Sanctum by the end of the film, it turns out he's not actually in his final form. Derrickson confirms that he wanted it to be very clear that Wong is still the more superior of the two, and that Strange is still in training and is not yet the Sorceror Supreme. He actually still has a long way to go.

That's particularly interesting as he states earlier in the commentary that he considered cutting Wong entirely because of the offensive way he's portrayed in the comics. But in the end, the decision to cast Tilda Swinton as the Ancient One actually made it necessary to dial up his importance.

“I made sure that he was essential. The trick was to invert him from the comics. Instead of a man servant, he’s a librarian. Instead of a sidekick, he’s Strange’s intellectual mentor.”

To his eternal credit, Derrickson also does make it very clear that there should be more activism for better Asian representation in film, which should be "loud and angry and dogged and relentless, because otherwise no one will listen to them."

All-in-all, it's a very interesting commentary, particularly for its insights into Derrickson's approach to film-making. And it sounds like he's the kind of passionate, committed film-maker Marvel should make sure is making their Doctor Strange sequel.