The Magical Arrival of the Doctor Strange Trailer

I consider Doctor Strange the most interesting of all the superhero movies slated for a 2016 release. Along with Suicide Squad, Doctor Strange is pretty unique, and unique sometimes comes with questions about ticket sale potential. Suicide Squad features Batman & The Joker so box office gold is pretty much unavoidable for that film - at least for the first two weekends.

The character of Doctor Strange has been around for 50-odd years, but Batman he is not. The big question is can a hero who is so far removed from the typical suit/mask/secret identity mix catch on with mainstream audiences?

The history of Doctor Strange does not reflect a very successful publishing life. In the 1960's, the books Strange Tales and Doctor Strange sold fairly well  as cult publications. Sales on college campuses among the counterculture set were strong due to (misplaced) perceptions of Doctor Strange  being a nod to psychedelic contraband.

Doctor Strange's title was cancelled time and time again over the years even though many of the story arcs were downright excellent. As a supporting character, Doctor Strange has been used quite well. Carrying his own book has proven tough. Can he carry a movie?

Why wouldn't he? Superhero movies are almost like Beatlemania these days.

At this stage, pretty much every hero movie draws people into theaters unless it is exceptionally bad. Fantastic Four pulled in about $50 million despite being a disaster of epic proportions.

Maybe the time is right for a Doctor Strange movie right now. An "atypical" hero could end up being what audiences want. The hunger for more hero fare is out there, but there is probably a want for something different as well.

Jon Bernthal Does A Fine (and Violent) Turn as The Punisher

Jon Bernthal did a solid job as The Punisher. He is the fourth actor to step into the vigilante's combat boots. While Thomas Jane is always going to be everyone's favorite Punisher thanks to his role in the deliriously silly movie in 2004, Bernthal's version may end up being the dark, sinister one closer to the Marvel Max version.

Purists may be irked that Bernthal's Punisher talks a bit more than the comic anti-hero. Bernthal's Punisher reveals his feelings and internal anguish far more than the one seen in the comic books. Fans do have to realize the Netflix series has to establish a character that works well within the context of the story. That means the character of Frank Castle has to be fleshed out. A one-note killing machine would gain any sympathy from audiences. He may be able to shake things up during slow spots in the series, but that type of character gets old after a while.

In season two of Daredevil, The Punisher did appear as an intriguing yang to Matt Murdoch's ying. The trouble is the season shifted focus to the Elektra-Daredevil dynamic and dropped the moral difference angle between Castle and Murdoch. That's what happens when you only have 13 episodes per season to work with.

Bernthal's run as The Punisher in Daredevil was intriguing. Let's hope we see more of him in the future.