It may have been dubbed another of Marvel’s risky films but Doctor Strange proved the MCU brand is increasingly strong with a huge opening across the world last week. The UK alone saw £9.1m in box office takings as of this morning with much of Europe following suit. South Korea brought in a massive $18.1m and with China and the US getting the film this Friday that figure will skyrocket.
Scott Derrickson’s film follows Ant-Man and Guardians of the Galaxy in introducing a lesser-known character to the already well-established troupe of The Avengers. That all three properties noted above will be pressed upon to continue the MCU once The Avengers conclude their Infinity War business, the box office numbers have an added importance for Disney.
RELATED: 10 awesome moments and easter eggs to watch out for in Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange has been praised for bringing some much-needed magic (both cinematic and otherwise) into what has become a fairly bleak arena. Ant-Man’s humour helped it to stand out, as did Guardians of the Galaxy’s great ensemble cast, but Strange posits a brighter future.
With Guardians Vol. 2 and Thor: Ragnarok soon out of the gate, there’s a lot riding on the new wave of Marvel films. If the Infinity War will draw a close to the last ten years of Marvel’s big screen adventures, the decent return on a ‘risky’ property will give Disney hope for the next ten.
