Magic – it’s nonsense, according to Strange

Stephen Strange lives in a world filled with superheroes. There is Thor, an actual demigod using a magical hammer. There is Hulk, who is basically a man who has survived after being exposed to lethal amounts of gamma radiation. There is also Scarlet Witch (who in the world knows how she works) and Vision who, by all accounts, is a living Infinity Stone – an actual god, for that matter.

So why doesn’t Steve Strange believe what the Ancient One is telling him about magic? Why does he consider it to be nonsense, even after talking with someone using magic to heal himself (Jonathan Pangborn)? In a world where aliens have tried to take over the world, is it that hard to believe in chakras and other, similar concepts?

Is it because we, the audience, are supposed to share his skepticism? Is it because we’re supposed to think of Strange as an even bigger a-hole? I don’t know. In any event, it didn’t work too well.