History Film / DoctorStrange2016

* {{Determinator}}: Strange spends himself into poverty seeking a cure for his hands, then flies to a mystical temple on the off chance that magic is real, then spends who knows how many days camped out on their doorstep in the hopes that they'll teach him.

* BreakTheHaughty: The basic premise. Stephen is put through the wringer in the first third of the film, curing him of his arrogance enough (though not completely) to beg the Ancient One to teach him, after having previously [[ArbitrarySkepticism vehemently denied]] their powers.

* DidNotGetTheGirl: In an unusual twist for Marvel movies, Christine [[spoiler:turns down Strange after the Ancient One dies. The damage Strange did previously is too much, and even after he sincerely apologizes and becomes a better person, it's clear that it's too late for their relationship to recover. She gives a Last Kiss to Strange before leaving]].

* TooSpicyForYogSothoth: It seems Dormammu, being the lord of a dimension beyond time, space, and death, doesn't know how to [[spoiler:deal with the concept of time]].
* TragicKeepsake: An underplayed example with Strange's wristwatch. It's the only valuable thing left in his possession, and he's very attached to it, even trying to fight against a gang of thugs for it. He keeps it throughout his training, but doesn't wear it, and him putting it on by the end of the film is a sign that he's finally moved past his injury. Another thing is that it is revealed to be a personal gift from Christine, so it also serves as a reminder of their lost love.

** Stephen Strange is first introduced while scrubbing for surgery. He meticulously washes his hands, dries them with a sterile towel and dons a sterile gown -- all very accurate. He then reaches up with his cleaned hands and ties on his non-sterile face mask, contaminating his hands. In real life the face mask is either put on before starting to scrub, or is tied on by another person.

[[header:[[center:[-'''Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse -- Phase 3'''\\
''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar'' | '''''Doctor Strange''''' | ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol2'' | ''Film/SpiderManHomecoming'' | ''Film/ThorRagnarok'' | ''Film/{{Black Panther|2018}}'' | ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'' | ''Film/AntManAndTheWasp'' | ''Film/{{Captain Marvel|2019}}'' | ''Film/AvengersEndgame'' | ''Film/SpiderManFarFromHome''\\
'''[[Film/AntMan1 <<< Phase 2]] | [[Series/WandaVision Phase 4 >>>]]'''-]]]]]

[[header:[[center:[-'''''Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse'' -- Phase 3'''\\
''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar'' | '''Doctor Strange (2016)''' | ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol2'' | ''Film/SpiderManHomecoming'' | ''Film/ThorRagnarok'' | ''Film/BlackPanther2018'' | ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'' | ''Film/AntManAndTheWasp'' | ''Film/CaptainMarvel2019'' | ''Film/AvengersEndgame'' | ''Film/SpiderManFarFromHome''\\
'''[[Film/AntMan <<< Phase 2]] | [[Series/WandaVision Phase 4 >>>]]'''-]]]]]

* DestroyTheProductPlacement: Strange drives a Lamborghini Huracán Coupé, then wrecks it while driving recklessly in a career-ending accident. Amusingly, the Lamborghini website includes an entire page of breathless praise for the car's appearance in the film and as a turning point in the plot, without once mentioning ''what'' that role is.
** The movie also features a Jaeger-[=LeCoultre=] Master Ultra Thin Perpetual wristwatch Strange wears as a keepsake from Christine -- it was smashed when he was being beaten up in Nepal.

* DidNotGetTheGirl: In an unusual twist for Marvel movies, Christine [[spoiler:turns Strange down after the Ancient One dies. The damage Strange had done previously was too much, and even after he sincerely apologizes and becomes a better person, it's clear that it's too late for their relationship to recover. She gives a Last Kiss to Strange before leaving]].

* DisabilityNegatingSuperpower: Pangborn managed to throw off his full body paralysis by channeling mystical energies through his body.

* YouHaveGotToBeKiddingMe: Dr. Palmer says this late in the movie, when Strange brings the dying Ancient One to her hospital after Strange's magic had already disrupted her day.

* CueTheFallingObject: After Strange shocks Christine with his astral form, the hospital around her is plagued by what looks like a poltergeist[[note]]It's actually Strange and one of the Zealots fighting in the astral plane[[/note]], and magic being proven true by a portal, she is scared witless by a broom falling to the floor.[[note]]This actually happened by accident but they [[ThrowItIn left the scene in]].[[/note]]

* WhipItGood: The primary offensive weapon of a sorcerer, particularly Strange himself, is a magic whip of golden energy, which can also double as a lasso. Mordo's staff in particular has the function of extending into a magic chain-whip of sorts.

* QuitYourWhining: After Strange accuses The Ancient One of drawing power from the Dark Dimension and reiterates his refusal to take up the mantle of Master of the New York Sanctum if it means having to kill, Mordo [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech makes plain his low opinion of Strange’s character]].
--> '''Mordo:''' [[YouCoward You’re a coward.]]\\
'''Strange:''' Because I’m not a killer?\\
'''Mordo:''' These Zealots will snuff us all out, and you can’t muster the will to snuff them first?\\

'''Mordo:''' YOU SAVED YOUR OWN LIFE! AND THEN- THEN ''WHINED'' ABOUT IT LIKE A WOUNDED DOG!\\

'''Mordo:''' ''You have no idea the things I’ve done.'' And the answer is yes. Without hesitation.\\
'''Strange:''' Even if there’s another way?\\

** After Strange explains to Christine what happened to him after they meet again -- with him in his full sorcerer regalia -- she's skeptical and convinced he's joined a cult, despite his astral form advising her on a medical procedure to save his life not five minutes earlier.

** Much like ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy2014'', while the film does not have many connections to ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'', it does end up having one really big one: the reveal of [[spoiler:another Infinity Stone]].

** When Strange [[spoiler:goes into cardiac arrest after being stabbed, he flatlines. Christine revives him by shocking him with a defibrillator, which only works on very irregular heartbeats]]. Possibly {{justified|Trope}}, as [[AWizardDidIt magic]] was involved.

** Much like ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'', while the film does not have many connections to ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'', it does end up having one really big one: the reveal of [[spoiler:another Infinity Stone]].

* EvilSorcerer: Kaecilius, a Sorcerer who seeks to open our universe to the Dark Dimension, and invite the ruling {{Eldritch Abomination}} to enter.

** In a cameo, Tina Minoru is seen wielding [[ComicBook/{{Runaways}} The Staff of One]]. This also [[{{Foreshadowing}} foreshadows]] the upcoming ''Runaways'' series.

** In the final scene, Wong mentions that with news of [[spoiler:the Ancient One's death]] spreading across the Multiverse, [[Comicbook/{{Thanos}} certain parties]] are likely now setting their sights on [[spoiler:the Time Stone]], leading into ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar''.

** One TV spot opens with shots of Film/IronMan's helmet, [[Comicbook/TheMightyThor Thor]]'s hammer, and Comicbook/CaptainAmerica's shield. [[spoiler:Subverted in Thor's case, as he makes an appearance in the mid-credits stinger]].

-->'''Doctor Strange:''' When I became a doctor, I swore an oath to do no harm. And I have just killed a man! I'm not doing that again. I became a doctor to save lives, not take them!

** In real life, Strange's CareerEndingInjury would be a career-''altering'' one. He may no longer be able to perform surgery but -- even if he didn't insure his hands -- he would land easily as a consultant or at a medical school.

** Doctor Strange doesn't believe in "fairy tales, chakras, or energy, or the power of belief." This is despite him living in New York City—which ''[[Film/TheAvengers2012 The Avengers]]'' depicted being invaded by aliens and Norse gods just four years prior. One would think that, at this point, people would start believing in anything.

** Doctor Strange doesn't believe in "fairy tales, chakras, or energy, or the power of belief." This is despite him living in New York City—which Film/TheAvengers depicted being invaded by aliens and Norse gods just four years prior. One would think that, at this point, people would start believing in anything.

** Doctor Strange doesn't believe in "fairy tales, chakras, or energy, or the power of belief." The franchise already has superheroes, Norse gods, and aliens. One would think that, at this point, people would start believing in anything.

* DavidVersusGoliath: All the way throughout the movie, Kaecilius and his Zealots are far above Strange as far as training and magic skill goes, and he has to use his wits (or the Cloak of Levitation) to barely stand a chance. It goes UpToEleven at the end: Dormammu is so beyond Strange[[note]]and everyone else seen in the MCU so far[[/note]] that even with the power of the Eye of Agamotto, Strange is only a nuisance.

* InterestingSituationDuel: The movie takes inspiration from ''Inception'' and turns it UpToEleven. Subjective gravity in an Escheresque cityscape that is constantly branching and folding in on itself, a fight between astral forms that loosely interact with the physical world around the unconscious body of one of the participants, and a battle on a city block that is in the process of exploding... backwards in time.

** Taken UpToEleven in "Civil War Cure", a viral ad featuring Strange analyzing and diagnosing injuries from the various fight scenes in ''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar''.

* {{Conlang}}: The linguist David J. Peterson developed Nelvayu, the language spoken by Kaecilius and the Zealots in the movie.

[[caption-width-right:350:''[[TagLine Open your mind. Change your reality]].'']]