Every MCU Origin Story Ranked From Worst To Best

Though on paper the idea of another wealthy white guy superhero didn't hold much appeal, Doctor Strange is so, so much more than that.

Notable for introducing magic to the MCU in earnest, Doctor Strange also benefitted massively from the imaginative directorial eye of horror filmmaker Scott Derrickson, who in turn delivered some of the franchise's most creative visuals to date.

Benedict Cumberbatch is quite simply perfect in the title role, and while the script doesn't even begin to take full advantage of its ensemble cast - wasting the likes of Rachel McAdams, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Mads Mikkelsen in particular - it saw the MCU fly its freak flag in a wholly new way.

Extra points are given for the brilliantly clever, expectation-defying final showdown between Strange and Dormammu, which concludes not with a dizzyingly chaotic CGI battle but the villain agreeing to leave Earth if Strange frees him from a time loop.