it has to be said: MCU Dr. Strange Blows A Banana

[DrNewGod]

I've rewatched his solo outing, and AIW, and whoever that is on the screen ain't Dr. Strange. Love Benedict, and think, personality-wise, he nails The Sorcerer Supreme. But the adaptation is hideously flawed.

This is a case where Feige and his posse completely missed the mark. What Disney/Marvel has given us wears Ditko and Lee's character's facial hair and greying temples, but that's about all. Gone are the intricate, alliterative spells, in favor of a generic quasi-Kung Fu Green Lantern-esque power. The astral form, which was always Doc's signature ability, is barely used. The Cloak of Levitation has become a comedic sidekick. Most of all, the idea of the mystic atrs as a product of long study and discipline, is handwaved away as a matter of photograhic memory and near-mutant-like talent

Some of this, I imagine, is a function of needing to get Strange fully ramped up for AIW; there was no time to develop him. Some of this is needing to give Strange a role in Thanos' scavenger hunt. I have to wonder, tho if some of this is Disney not wanting to take on a concepts that make half the planet's major religions uneasy.

[jackolover]

It’s typical of the MCU that characters never match what has been presented on paper. For various technical reasons, the MCU can’t apply all the story ideas you can do in comicbooks, and literally show it on screen, like cosmic rays, radioactive spiders, or gamma bombs exploding. Some things defy logic and the MCU reshape it. Obviously, using the eye of agamotto was problematic if it was required as an Infinity stone in the movie.

[Drops Of Venus]

I have to wonder, tho if some of this is Disney not wanting to take on a concepts that make half the planet's major religions uneasy.

I do think this plays a big part, yes. It's clear the MCU has created this ambiguous interpretation of magic and mysticism: some people call it magic, but it could be just advanced science that we don't understand. Which is why the asgardians are sometimes referred to as aliens, and why magic on Doctor Strange was explained through some quantum-physics rationality. They want things to be mystical enough to reference the comics, but sci-fi enough so the movies won't look too ''pagan'' and possibly get banned in some countries. It's probably a smart corporate decision, but it's not any less frustrating for the fans who want to see real magic in the MCU.