'Doctor Strange' Director Scott Derrickson Explains Why Scene Involving Strange and a Stray Dog Not Included in the Final Cut
Several days ago, a deleted scene from "Doctor Strange" made the rounds online and caused some fans to wonder why it did not make it to the final cut. Recently, director Scott Derrickson explained why they had deemed it better to remove the said moment and not include it in the theatrical release.
The scene in question showed Benedict Cumberbatch's Stephen Strange treating a wounded stray dog while searching for the Ancient One. After the deleted scene made the rounds online, some fans thought it was not wise to not include it in the final cut, especially since it proved to be an unusually tender moment for the sometimes arrogant doctor/superhero.
While the scene initially worked great in theory, Derrickson believes that it would have impacted the overall film negatively had they chosen to include it in the theatrical release. According to the director, they opted to remove it because of pacing. Also, he said the scene was too redemptive for Strange early on in the movie.
Over the weekend, Derrickson took to Twitter to explain his side. "This scene was deleted for pacing and because it was too big a change for Strange's character arc too early in the film," he said.
The film "Doctor Strange" centered around a neurosurgeon who got involved in a tragic car accident that left him broken and without the steady hands needed to practice his profession again. Thinking that his life was over, he trained in the field of mystical arts, paving the way for him to become the new Sorcerer Supreme.
"Doctor Strange" was released in theaters last year and was quick to become one of Marvel's most successful films. Since its release, it has been known for being one of the best, most mind-blowing and psychedelic Marvel movies of all time, thanks to its great narrative and effective character portrayals.