As Benedict Cumberbatch prepares to step into the shoes of neurosurgeon Stephen Strange in Marvel's Doctor Strange, fans are already getting an early look at the actor on set since production has started in Nepal. While Nepal has had a rough year thanks to a devastating earthquake back in April and current political unrest, I'm surprised that Marvel has decided to shoot on location rather than reconstruct the iconic architecture in a studio. Perhaps director Scott Derrickson convinced the Powers That Be that a realistic setting would be essential to grounding a story that trips into the mystical.

Now, while this first image from the set of Doctor Strange does indeed appear to be Cumberbatch in costume for the role, it's not the fantastical costume from the colorful pages of the comic books, but rather a muted, travel-worn ensemble. This suggests that the scene in question comes earlier on in the story when Strange has left his medical profession behind in order to embark on a quest to become the Sorcerer Supreme. Doctor Strange opens one year from today on November 4, 2016.


Check out the blurry set image of Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange below:

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Hopefully Marvel will step up and release an official still from the set in order to stem the flow of this blurry, grainy shot making the rounds. It does, however, suggest that Doctor Strange might be following a similar plot to the 2007 animated movie by the same name. This origin story was nicely plotted and animated, and would be a good introduction to those of you who are unfamiliar with Strange's story and can't wait until next fall for the live-action version.

For more on Doctor Strange, check out some of our recent coverage provided at the links below:


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Image via Marvel Comics