DOCTOR STRANGE is in! Now available in all formats including Blu-ray, DVD, and digital, you can relive the experience of a whole new brand of magic. While Disney and Harry Potter have introduced us to whimsical forms of prestidigitation, the folks of Marvel have introduced it into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) in an extremely practical way and its ramifications, as one would expect, have significance beyond just the start and end credits of this movie.
This home release for the film includes a predictable assortment of goodies that actually span an impressive depth. The goodies that you really want, you can only enjoy if you opt for Disney’s more deluxe packaging options on Digital or Blu-ray.
Bonus Features
- Gag Reels are always a favorite but there’s something about the Marvel ones that are especially magical. Audio Commentary with Scott Derrickson and Deleted Scenes are also welcomed additions to the collection. But the real meat and potatoes comes from a surprisingly robust set of extras…
- Marvel Studios Phase 3 Exclusive Look is perhaps one of the most exciting features on the release giving us a peek at what the next few years of the MCU should promise to deliver. A majority of its 7 minute length is dedicated to talking about everything we’ve already seen and perhaps semi-frustratingly everything we already know. Still we get some good peeks into Guardians Vol 2., Thor and Hulk in upcoming Ragnarok, and Black Panther.
- Through the Keyhole: The Science of the MCU is a 10 minute piece offering a look into the technical components of Marvel films and especially here in Doctor Strange which introduces the notion of MAGIC into a world that thus far has been very science based and realistic foundation. This is a fascinating piece not unlike many a San Diego Comic-Con panel. In fact, the crux of this particular featurette is a recap of such a presentation that took place in coordination with Academy of Sciences, Science Entertainment Exchange, and Marvel. A lot of care has gone into not just shoehorning in MAGIC as a convenient catch-all for explaining away story points or problems.
- Across Time and Space is a 13 minute feature goes into the crazy crazy crazy amount of coordination and work that went into bringing to life the undeniably spellbinding visual effects of this film. This is a careful coordination between choreographers, computer artists, art directors and more.
- Strange Company touches on visualizing the characters in the film including Tilda Swinton‘s Ancient One, Mads Mikkelsen‘s Kaecilius, and more. Bringing established comic characters to life and realizing them for modern movie-going audiences is always an insurmountable task.
- A Strange Transformation is definitely for the Benedict Cumberbatch fans, offering behind the scenes footage of him on set and also interviews talking about the allure of the project to him including the complexity of a character severely lacking in humility.
- The Fabric of Reality is another feature going into behind the scenes magic, in this case an unexpected character in and of itself in the film… Doctor Strange’s cape!
- The Score-cerer Supreme is the final behind the scene piece and it looks at the music and score for the film with Michael Giacchino who was excited to deliver an original soundtrack for a completely new story that’s never been brought to life on the big screen.
- Team Thor: Part 2 is a silly featurette, it’s a take two on the premise setup that Thor spends his offtime on Earth just lazying about with his roommate Darryl in Australia. I’m not a big fan of the THOR films but the featurette is a funny continuation of the odd couple scenario that runs here. Also hearing Thor use phrases like as-if, are pretty good.
If there’s one thing Marvel does really well it’s making you care about characters you’ve never even heard of before. I suppose in a way, you’re forced to at least pay attention when they introduce new characters because if you’re a fan of the MCU, you’ll never know how important a character might be!
So whether you’re fan of the film or a Marvel completist who knows there are undoubtedly big hints and secrets in this film that we don’t even know are secrets yet, you’ll find a worthy investment in this edition.
DOCTOR STRANGE is available now on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital.