If you’ve been watching the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you know that Doctor Stephen Strange has been one of the more compelling characters yet to make an appearance in the movies. In the comics, he’s a brilliant neurosurgeon who gets thrown into supernatural realms because of a tragic accident, and eventually becomes a master sorcerer.
The latest episode in the What If…? podcast offers Dr. Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) a stark choice: Use magic to save his hands, or use magic to save his heart.
If you’re a Marvel fan, you’ve probably heard of this story. At least, you’ve definitely heard of the movie. The movie, in which Doctor Strange loses his hands, was released in theaters in 2017. It was not well-received. The critics panned it for its terrible acting, poor writing, and completely nonsensical plot (which I’m sure you’ve probably read by now anyway), but the fans loved it. So, what if, in the alternate reality presented in the series “What If…?”, Doctor Strange lost his heart instead of his hands?
“What If… Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands?” – Season 1, Episode 4 “What If… Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands?”
“The difference between deovtion and illusion is razor-thin.”
Reviews of television shows
I don’t want to jinx anything (and believe me, jinxing a good thing has never been simpler), but I believe Marvel’s new animated series has hit its stride. “What If… Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands?” had a lot more in common with the universe-altering hypothetical from last week than the previous two less-inspired diversity swaps (although I still enjoyed the first one). Actually, it has a lot of similarities with It’s a Wonderful Life; this time, a minor alteration has global consequences due to the effect of one man’s life.
Stephen Strange’s automobile accident kills Christine Palmer instead of causing him to lose his hands. Initially, everything go as expected, with Strange ascending to Sorcerer Supreme and rescuing the universe from Dormammu. When things calm down, Strange resolves to utilize his enormous power to recover his long-lost love, oblivious to the consequences.
As with the previous three episodes, the animation in “What If… Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands?” is terrible. I know I sound like a broken record at this point, but this is an important aspect of an animated series that never improves. And I believe this episode proves that it has an impact on the voice acting as well. When Benedict Cumberbatch voices Doctor Strange, he does a good job, and the fundamental picture of his sketched shape looks like him, but when he speaks, his facial motions are artificial and do not match his voice. This is especially heartbreaking for Rachel McAdams, who has a beautiful, lively voice that’s ideal for animation, but Christine’s rigidity betrays her vivaciousness. Because the Ancient One is dour and professorial, more so than she was in the film (which isn’t a complaint; she’s simply playing a different character), Tilda Swinton’s mechanical emotions suit best. I suppose it’s too late for this season, but improved animation would significantly enhance What If…?
*SPOILERS*
This week, the narrative is engaging, which is fortunate. When I read the headline “What If… Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands?” I thought to myself, “What If… Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands?” I thought it meant Stephen Strange would perish in a vehicle accident and Baron Mordo would ascend to the position of Sorcerer Supreme. They were able to explore what makes Doctor Strange the hero he is in the regular world by murdering Christine, which was a far more fascinating thing to do. Strange, like many of his super-powered peers, is motivated by a desire to protect rather than control or dominate, and Christine Palmer is one of those connections. Even though it takes a catastrophic circumstance for him to understand it – both here and in the film – she’s the one thing a selfish guy like Stephen Strange loves more than himself. Christine kept him connected to his commitment to saving and defending life, as frustrated as he was without his hands. He reverts to selfishness once again now that she is gone. While he continued to rescue the world, his ultimate aim was to use his power to bring her back one day.
“What If… Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands?” does not deny that selfishness may drive great acts. However, when Strange repeatedly fails to rescue Christine, he lets his sorrow to overtake him, plunging into the depths of black magic to accomplish what man was never intended to achieve. As Strange progresses, the manifestations of the dark force get more hideous, symbolizing his progressive fall into evil until he no longer resembles Benedict Cumberbatch and instead resembles a demonic amalgamation of the hellish creatures he’s absorbed. The tentacles symbolize the Lovecraftian monster that serves as Strange’s white whale, and even the individuals who vanish as a result of his dabbling with magical powers fade away in an inky darkness. (Does that mean it’s the same one as in the first episode?) On that point, I believe the chances are favorable.)
Even a man with as much tunnel vision as a grief-stricken Stephen Strange isn’t all good or evil, and although the conclusion is the bleakest yet, maybe that is the hope to be found in “What If… Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands?” When the Ancient One fails to persuade Strange to give up his fixation, she determines that the only person who can stop him is Strange himself, and she constructs a parallel reality in which Strange chooses not to tamper with the past. This version of Stephen Strange, one who is focused on the greater good, is the only one who can defeat his tainted counterpart. He fails, and the cosmos withers as a result, yet it’s reassuring to know that the final hope will always be found inside. We’ve got ourselves when the rest of the world, the ones we love, the gods and skies above turn their backs on us. If only Strange had realized it before he destroyed his whole universe.
Some of the finer aspects in “What If… Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands?” don’t stand up to scrutiny, and those are the consequence of Marvel explaining their concept of time to the point of contradiction. I see why Strange can alter the past without creating new timelines; unlike the Avengers in Endgame, he’s really turning back time rather than going through it, thus while knowing about Christine’s death, he’s essentially deleting everything that happened after she died. It’s a bit wobbly and a little contradictory, but it’s sound enough to let go. (At some point, you either embrace time travel or you don’t, and I’m not talking about Back to the Future here.) When the Ancient One speaks about fixed places in time, though, everything start to fall apart. What is the point of the TVA if these things cannot be changed? Shouldn’t the major issues have already been addressed? And why was it necessary to create a “holy timetable” if everything would work out in the end? In that regard, I believe Kang would have encountered things he couldn’t alter, and he’d have to modify a lot if he murdered his doppelgangers and prevented their worlds from being formed. If Strange’s actions are so heinous, the Ancient One’s intervention would have been required. In the end, I believe most of this reflects harsher on Loki than What If…?, but it’s a bit frustrating that Marvel isn’t paying attention to these discrepancies.
“What If… Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands?” is another excellent episode of a program that I didn’t care for. Despite some weird time mechanics and more terrible animation, it mainly succeeds in focusing on character and how the smallest adjustment may affect a hero’s path.
Plot – 8
Acting – 8 points
7 Progression
Design for Production – 5
8 characters
7.2
“What If… Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands?” is another excellent episode of a program that I didn’t care for. Despite some weird time mechanics and more terrible animation, it mainly succeeds in focusing on character and how the smallest adjustment may affect a hero’s path.
It’s time to dive into another exciting episode of “What If” (what if) season 1, episode 4, or “What If… Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands?” This episode is the first time we’ve seen Doctor Strange lose his hands, and it seems it wouldn’t be the last. What happens if Doctor Strange lost his hands instead of his heart? According to the imagination of writers Brian K. Vaughan and Marcos Martin, it could be the end of the whole “Strange” series.. Read more about what if doctor strange lost his heart imdb and let us know what you think.
Related Tags
- what if doctor strange lost his heart cast
- what if dr strange lost his heart comic
- what if doctor strange lost his heart review
- what if doctor strange lost his heart reddit
- what if dr strange lost his heart review
