Marvel Studios, a subsidiary of Marvel Entertainment, owned by The Walt Disney Company, is the film production/distribution company that currently owns rights to all characters based on Marvel Comics except the "X-Men", "Spider-Man", "Ghost Rider", "Fantastic Four", "Man-Thing" and "Kick-Ass":
During a New York Comic Con, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige talked about his desire to see a big screen "Doctor Strange" motion picture as part of the 'Marvel Cinematic Universe'.
"I think I can probably say sooner rather than later in some announcements on 'Doc Strange'," said Feige. "I would love to see him..."
Written by Stan Lee and illustrated by Steve Ditko, 'Doctor Strange' debuted in Marvel Comics' "Strange Tales" #110 (July 1963), with Ditko fashioning the physical look of the character after creator Lee Falk's 1930's hypnotic comic strip character "Mandrake The Magician".
'Dr. Stephen Strange' was an arrogant, womanizing world-renowned neurosurgeon, until a Chappaquiddick-like car accident damaged his hands, preventing him from conducting surgery.
In bitter desperation, he seeks out a legendary Tibetan hermit living in a 'Lost Horizon' of the Himalayas who may have a cure for his debilitating condition.
Strange finds 'The Ancient One', possessed of the knowledge of sorcerous spells and incantations, invoking names and aspects of extra-dimensional objects and beings of power.
Some of these phenomena include the 'Flames of the Faltine', the 'Shades of the Seraphim' and the 'Hoary Hosts of Hoggoth'.
When Strange selflessly thwarts the evil ambitions of the Ancient One's disciple 'Baron Mordo', the 500-year old wizard tutors Strange in the 'mystic arts', teaching him how to use magical artifacts to augment his power, including the 'Cloak of Levitation', the all-seeing 'Eye of Agamotto' and the 'Book of the Vishanti'.
Strange uses his magic to achieve a number of effects, including energy projection, teleportation, telepathy and astral projection.
He was also schooled in the use of addictive and corruptive 'dark magic' by one-time foe 'Kaluu', using it to destroy the entity known as 'Shuma-Gorath'.
Doctor Strange has also been featured in several self-titled Marvel Comics series and Marvel-endorsed products including arcade/video games, animated TV series, a direct-to-DVD film and merchandise including trading cards.
Click the images to enlarge…
