Sugiyama Supitoyo's Cinema Figure Theory vol.4 "S.H.Figuarts Doctor Strange -《BATTLE ON TITAN》 EDITION (Avengers: Infinity War)"

The theme of the fourth issue is "S.H.Figuarts Doctor Strange -《BATTLE ON TITAN》 EDITION (Avengers: Infinity War)," which will be available for reservation at online stores and general stores on September 1.

Many people want to keep their favorite hero movie or monster movie character at hand. BANDAI SPIRITS' collector's item brand "TAMASHII NATIONS"'s Cinema figures will fulfill such a wish. I would like to talk about its charm from the perspective of a film writer.

This time it's Dr. Strange, the MARVEL Cinematic Universe (MCU)'s greatest wizard who showed a bitter presence in Avengers: Infinity War" (2019).

The modeling and coloring of the head parts have been reviewed to make the deep expression of Doctor Strange more realistic.

Doctor Strange made his debut in the 110th issue of "Strange Tales" published in 1963.
At that time MARVEL already had Hulk, Thor, Ant-Man, Wasp, Spider-Man, Iron Man and the Avengers. (Captain America returns in a 1964 the Avengers episode, but he was originally a hero from 1941.)

At that time, MARVEL was devising how to differentiate the stories of heroes. Hulk is a monster and Thor is a god. Iron Man is a millionaire dandy old man, but Spider-Man is a poor high school student. Some heroes will fight against invaders from outer space, while others will protect the world from international criminal gangs.

Under these circumstances, Doctor Strange is depicted as a wizard who confronts threats from the demon world. It was a big part of bringing dark fantasy elements to MARVEL, which had a sci-fi world view, and this probably expanded the MARVEL universe even further. Doctor Strange is a popular comic whose uniqueness is popular, and in 2016, the long-awaited movie adaptation came true as "Doctor Strange". Until then, he appeared in MARVEL 's hero animation several times, and once in 1978, a live-action TV movie was made, but he did not appear in the MCU.

There are several possible reasons for this, but I think Doctor Strange is a hero whose atmosphere is very important. In terms of character design, it's a bearded man wearing an oriental costume. If you make one mistake, it becomes nothing more than a gag. Not heroic like Iron Man or Spider-Man. But what made the Doctor Strange comics so popular was that the creators of the time did a fantastic job of depicting this hero's magical warfare. That's why you can't draw that magic scene unless VFX technology advances in movies.
The MCU, on the other hand, was very successful with its exquisite casting of Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, and has since been obsessed with finding the best and most appropriate match of actor and hero.
Which actor will play Doctor Strange for such an MCU? Would have been a particularly big challenge. Because this character is 100% face-to-face, the ability and charm of the actor is directly reflected. In conclusion, finding Benedict Cumberbatch is a great answer. It is said that the MCU at that time purposely changed the release date of "Doctor Strange" according to his schedule, so I guess he couldn't think of anything else.

The magic that is synonymous with Doctor Strange, a sorcerer supreme, is reproduced with various effect parts.

The comic Doctor Strange was the flow of "originally disgusting elites reform and become heroes". Cumberbatch played such a nuance really well (laughs). So, since it is a figure of the MCU version of Doctor Strange, it is asked how much it resembles Cumberbatch. It can be said that this figure is a convincing model that not only Doctor Strange but also Cumberbatch fans will want. In addition, this hero can create various magics with the movement of his fingers, and I'm glad that there are many hand parts that can be reproduced freely. And that scene, which was the most impressive in "Avengers: Infinity War", entered a meditative state while assembling "levitating in the air" and spiritually simulated the outcome of the battle with Thanos (here, Thanos won The probability that it can be derived is 1/1400605) can be reproduced. I think it's unusual for an action figure to have a head with the main character closing his eyes, but for this Doctor Strange, it can be said that it's a necessary part.

Reproduce the scene in the play by replacing the eye (time stone) parts and effects of Agamot

This figure actually has another MCU character, which is a great deal, but did you notice it? That's the cloak (also called a cape)!
As anyone who has seen the movie knows, that cloak of Doctor Strange is not just a costume, but a "character" with will and intelligence. It is said that he referred to the magic carpet of the movie "Aladdin" (1992), but Doctor Strange and this cloak have a buddy relationship. This cloak is made of cloth and has wires, so it comes with specifications that can be arranged freely. Even in comics, I have expressed the anger and determination of Doctor Strange at that time with a little way of drawing the cloak. It's nice to be able to play with the cloak of important item.

The cloak, which is made of cloth except for the collar, has a built-in wire at the neck and hem. Expressive poses are possible.
Maybe many fans noticed the charm of the cloak in "Doctor Strange"?

Doctor Strange will return to the screen in 2022 in a film titled Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Look forward to seeing him again and get some mystical powers from this figure. Doctor Strange and Tony Stark (Iron Man) are two of the most popular bearded heroes in the world, so it would be fun to display them side by side and befriend them. If you are on a budget, you can buy a Thanos figure and several of these Dr. Strange figures to recreate the battle scene in the movie "Avengers: Infinity War" where Dr. Strange transforms and fights Thanos.

Text: Sugiyama Supitoyo

*The images shown include prototypes that are under development. The actual products may differ slightly.
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