We are just a couple of weeks away from Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but have you ever seen the original movie about the Sorcerer Supreme? Now you can! The folks at Shout! Factory have released 1978’s Dr. Strange on Blu-ray for the first time. Those who are curious can now see the early, lesser-known Marvel Comics adaptation in high-definition.
Enter a world filled with sorcerers, supernatural forces & bizarre enchantments as Marvel Comics superhero Dr. Strange comes to life to battle the forces of evil: our site exclusive DR. STRANGE (1978) is on Blu-ray NOW, ft. Peter Hooten & Jessica Walter. https://t.co/ykvLlFjaNg pic.twitter.com/XFfbHsukuM
— Shout! Studios (@Shout_Studios) April 20, 2022
Marvel wouldn’t ultimately find real box office success with its films until Blade in 1998. Things would take an even bigger turn in 2000 with X-Men. But the house of ideas tried very hard prior to that. In this case, we have a TV movie based on the Master of the Mystic Arts starring Peter Hooten. Directed by Philip DeGuere, it was intended to be a pilot of sorts for a potential TV series. That never came to pass. We are, however, left with an interesting relic of the past that is now available on Blu-ray.
Here is the synopsis for Dr. Strange.
“A modern hospital may seem worlds apart from the days of ancient sorcerers. But for psychiatrist Stephen Strange (Peter Hooten) and his patient Clea Lake (Eddie Benton), this is where those worlds collide … and the nightmare begins! Nothing Stephen Strange learned in medical school could prepare him for an attack by an evil sorceress from the “fourth dimension,” Morgan le Fay (Jessica Walter), a villainess who plans an invasion of unimaginable evil on Earth. Chosen by an ancient guardian of the spirit world to learn the mystic arts to defeat Morgan and safeguard the Earth, Stephen Strange must take the place of the Earth’s last sorcerer. Come along for a fantastic adventure into the “fourth dimension” with … Dr. Strange!”
The Marvel Cinematic Universe as we know it kicked off with Iron Man in 2008. It wouldn’t be until eight years later in 2016 when Doctor Strange would be released. This finally gave the character, created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, proper time to shine. With Benedict Cumberbatch in the leading role, the movie was a big hit. Strange would go on to star in Thor: Ragnarok, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home. Now, finally, in just a couple of weeks, he returns with a new solo film with Doctor Strange The Multiverse of Madness. Sam Raimi (Spider-Man, The Evil Dead) is directing the sequel. Scott Derrickson helmed the original but departed the sequel due to creative differences.
Dr. Strange is available now on Blu-ray from Shout! Factory.
What do you think? Do you plan on checking out this odd little time capsule? Or would you prefer to wait until it’s streaming somewhere? Join in on the conversation over on Facebook or Twitter!
