On the same night the cast and crew of Captain America: Civil War celebrated the premiere of that major Marvel movie, the Disney-owned studio wanted to remind us that the train doesn't stop there. Doctor Strange is out later this year, and they've got the first trailer to prove it.
In it, we see leading man Benedict Cumberbatch (playing the titular character) looking a bit, errr, rougher than you might be used to seeing him in stuff like Sherlock. It's understandable. His character, once a leading surgeon, has lost the precision of his hands after an accident, which is of course bad news for his career and life in general. It's OK, though! Because magic.
You've also got Tilda Swinton being all Morpheus-like as The Ancient One, trying to convince Strange to open his eyes to bigger realities than the one he's familiar with. We also glimpse Chiwetel Ejiofor and Rachel McAdams.
And oh yeah, the world gets turned way upside down, Inception-style.
It'd be easy to write Doctor Strange off as a B-tier (or lower) Marvel property that few have heard of. But in a world where most comic book movies right now are high-octane action movies with lots of destruction, the mystical aspect of Doctor Strange could bring something different to the table.
Besides, being a niche property didn't hurt Guardians of the Galaxy. And there are probably quite a few people that will see it just to see how Cumberbatch does in a "superhero" sort of role.
Doctor Strange opens in theaters Nov. 4. It's directed by Scott Derrickson (Sinister, The Exorcism of Emily Rose).
