The Evolution of Doctor Strange (Animated)
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After injuring his hands in a car crash, brilliant neurosurgeon, Stephen Strange, seeks training by the Ancient One to heal himself, becoming a powerful Sorcerer. But how has Doctor Strange evolved onscreen? Let’s conjure up his Evolution to find out...
warning: spoilers ahead!In his first live-action appearance in Dr. Strange (1978), psychiatrist Dr. Strange wears a purple bodysuit, excessive jewellery, a black and red cloak, golden arm bracers with a matching belt, and his hair is era-appropriate. This Strange uses an inherited magic ring to ward off an evil witch, earning him a new set of blue fatigues with an added star emblem and yellow cape. And while this film was meant to kick-start a TV series, it failed to launch.
Strange’s animated debut in Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends incorporates his comic chest symbol, touch of grey hair, and a comic accurate Cloak of Levitation with his mystical Eye of Agamotto used as a brooch.
In his second live-action portrayal, he wears a fully blue suit with a yellow-lined cape. The Studio producing this film lost the rights to use Doctor Strange, so he instead goes by Doctor Mordrid. This Doctor is apparently an alien from space who vows to protect Earth from his wizardly nemesis.
Spider-Man: The Animated Series features a beefy Strange. He has a purple shirt, yellow gloves, a wider cape collar, and his third eye makes its onscreen premiere. In his earlier X-Men Animated Series cameos he – for some reason – looks completely different, lacks his gloves, and fashions a steel blue shirt, and a vertical collar. The somewhat related Incredible Hulk series simplifies his look, adds in short orange gloves, and his first televised goatee. This basic comic-like design is also recreated in the Super Hero Squad Show.
In his 2007 solo animated film, Strange wears a black and red overcoat getup and a simplified cloak, although in Planet Hulk his cloak is much more embellished.
In Ultimate Spider-Man / Avengers Assemble, he wears a dark bodysuit, yellow boots, artfully blended gloves, and his collar is more hooked. Not to mention he also has lusciously long hair. The Hulk sister series brightens up this design, and the Halloween spin-off movie gives him a sleeker look with a ludicrous collar. Plus, this version of him can even turn into a giant dream dragon!
Marvel Disk Wars’ Strange has silver hair, a pointy collar, and added bicep bracers.
The MCU’s Strange in Doctor Strange (2016) wears a blue tunic, bulky belt, and has cloth wrapped around his gauntlets and boots. His cloak has a plaid lining and two shoulder clasps. He uses a sling ring to open up portals, and notably houses the Time Infinity Stone inside the Eye of Agamotto, which he uses to thwart a space entity from consuming Earth...by annoying him in an unending time-loop.
This live-action look would inspire his designs in Marvel Future Avengers, Marvel Super Hero Adventures, his Lego version, and his 2017 animated appearance – which briefly becomes Venomized! Additionally, his Avenger’s Assemble design would be altered to closer match the MCU.
In Thor: Ragnarok, Strange now has his classic chest symbol, a redder belt, his cloth threading is more colourful, and he wears old-school yellow gloves. Although, Infinity War ignores these alterations. In this film, he teams up with other superheroes to face off against Thanos, and to save the life of Tony Stark, Strange relinquishes the Time Stone, helping to allow Thanos to dust him and half the Universe away. But five years later in Endgame, he’s undusted, and portals his way back to help defeat the mad titan.
What If, features an alternative MCU Strange, as well as a gaunt, purple-suited villainous variation that absorbs numerous beings including his alternative Strange rival – briefly becoming a demonic monster! And, there’s also a zombie variant.
In Spider-Man: No Way Home, he adds warm loungewear to his attire to combat a draft. This time, Strange botches a “forget-me” spell for Spider-Man, accidentally bringing out other wall-crawlers into the MCU...and their respective villains.
In Multiverse of Madness, his classic chest symbol is back, his gauntlets are leather, he has black boots, a simplified belt, and his necklace is more taut. This film also features:
A red and black-suited Defender Strange with an added ponytail – who quickly dies.
A blue and silver suited Supreme Strange, but he’s screamed to death for his own atrocities.
A dark hold corrupted Sinister Strange with an occasional third eye, who also doesn’t last too long.
And in addition, the MCU Strange uses the dark hold to take over Defender’s corpse, acquiring a flying demon cloak.
This adventure finds our titular hero protecting a multi-verse hopping America Chavez from the Scarlet Witch. And, in the end, our OG Strange gains his own third eye!
Wolverine’s live-action costuming hasn’t always lived up to his potential, but how has he evolved on screen? Let’s find out now...animated!