Doctor Strange Reviews: 12 Early Reactions You Need To Know

The cosmic arm of the MCU is firmly open for business. Last night saw the embargo for early social media responses to the first screenings of Scott Derickson's Doctor Strange hit the web, and it looks like Marvel have another hit on their hands. At least with critics, which any good DC fanboy will tell you means absolutely nothing...

This was always going to be an important release for the studio: not only does it represent a major departure from the general thrust of the MCU, but it also introduces entirely new concepts like magic and the supernatural. Without a success here, any braver future plans to expand into even stranger realms would have died on their feet.

But a spread of the first reactions definitely suggests that Marvel have pulled off the key requirements: it's fresh, it's spectacular and Benedict Cumberbatch is cast perfectly. There's little to note about the villain yet, which is always a hot button topic when MCU movies come out, but somethings you just have to wait for.

Here are the early reactions to Doctor Strange you need to see...

There has been a lot said already about Benedict Cumberbatch's suitability to play Doctor Strange: depending on who you believe he was always the fore-runner to play the character, and it's always looked a good fit.

It's marvellous news, then, that he's being so well received by those privileged enough to have seen the film early. And there does seem to be an almost universal appreciation of his performance...

The superlatives keep coming...

But he's actually not the only one to steal the show: there was praise for one pretty unlucky candidate too...