The 1978 Marvel television film Dr. Strange is getting a Blu-ray release from Shout! Factory just in time for the premiere of the second Marvel Cinematic Universe film centered around the character, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Per Bloody Disgusting, the Blu-ray version of 1978's Dr. Strange will have some special features, including a high definition transfer and restoration along with audio commentary from Russell Dyball, a pop culture historian, and The Panel Jumper host Cole Hornaday. The film stars Peter Hooten as Dr. Stephen Strange, Jessica Walter of Arrested Development and Archer fame as evil sorceress Morgan le Fay and horror film fixture Anne-Marie Martin (credited as Eddie Benton) as Strange's patient Clea Lake. The tagline for the film reads: "Enter a world filled with sorcerers, powerful supernatural forces and bizarre enchantments as the famed Marvel Comics superhero Dr. Strange comes to life to battle the forces of evil."
Originally intended as a pilot for a series that never came to be, this version of Dr. Strange was part of Universal Television's slate of live-action Marvel content produced in the 1970s. Most successful and best known is The Incredible Hulk TV series with Lou Ferrigno in the title role, which ran for five seasons and was a bona fide hit with a wide audience. While it lacked authenticity in relation to its Marvel Comics source material, it proved that adaptions to the screen were viable.
This success was followed by an attempt to bring another popular character onto the small screen with The Amazing Spider-Man. This series did not get the same warm reception as Hulk and was canceled after just 13 sporadically-aired episodes between 1977 and 1979. Stan Lee, who acted as a consultant on all three of the projects, called working on the Spider-Man show "a total nightmare."
Hopes were higher for Dr. Strange, which Lee cited as one of his best experiences working on the Universal Television projects, and one he had "the most control" over. Even star Jessica Walter, who passed away in March 2021, praised the film in a 2016 interview. "It was really done in a spectacular manner," she said of the production. "We went over schedule by several days because of the effects."
Despite the attempts at a faithful adaptation of Dr. Strange, the film suffered low Nielsen ratings and has been poorly reviewed by modern critics. According to some reviews, a focus on taking the story seriously led it to feel more like a medical procedural show for much of the runtime and Hooten failed to capture the essence of the character. Still, the exploits of Dr. Strange attempting to stop Morgan le Fay from invading the earth features some campily aged special effects and some committed performances according to other critics.
Doctor Strange eventually joined the MCU, with Benedict Cumberbatch taking over the role. Thus far, Cumberbatch has played the character in Doctor Strange (2016), Thor: Ragnarok (2017), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019) and Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021). Up next is Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which is due for release on May 6 and brings the Illuminati, Gargantos and more the MCU.
The Blu-ray re-issue of 1978's Dr. Strange is currently available for pre-order via Shout! Factory with an April 26 release date.
Source: Bloody Disgusting