Doctor Strange Reviews: 10 Big Things We Learned
3. The Film Is Well-Timed
With the absence of Thor or any other 'mystical' style characters lately, the Marvel output has been set very much in the 'real' world. Captain America: Civil War studied the ethics of superheroes and vigilantism and the Netflix shows tackle bloody violence in their insular neighbourhoods. Though Thor is mystical the magic of Asgard was described as being almost scientific, Doctor Strange is the introduction of unashamed magic on Earth.
Allyson Gronowitz at Polygon writes that "the timing of the good Doctor’s big-screen adaptation couldn’t be better, as the surrealist mysticism of Doctor Strange provides a much-needed tonic for the gritty realism of Marvel’s Netflix shows and the hyper-politicized Captain America: Civil War".
This movement into a different kind of cinematic atmosphere sounds very refreshing and suggests a slow but gradual motion into changing the Marvel universe from the physical punching and hammer throwing to a more other-worldly style.