Synopsis
Doctor Strange follows the story of the neurosurgeon Doctor Stephen Strange who, after a tragic car accident, must put ego aside and learn the secrets of a hidden world of mysticism and alternate dimensions. Doctor Strange must act as an intermediary between the real world and what lies beyond, utilising a vast array of metaphysical abilities and artefacts to protect the world.
Doctor Strange might be Marvel’s most ambitious film yet. Up to this point, Marvel films have been loosely grounded in reality, but Doctor Strange opens up the Marvel cinematic universe to the idea of multiple universes, magic and unseen enemies.
The film was greeted with enthusiasm and excellent reviews. Some may have mixed feelings about showing a film that directly involves magic and alternative realms, but personally, I found it to be similar in tone to Harry Potter when it comes to magic, so if you felt comfortable around that, this will be fine for you to show to young people of an appropriate age.
There are many different themes to be explored, with Stephen Strange providing an intriguing character whose origin story involves loss, surrender, ego and heroism. In this clip, Stephen Strange finds himself, having lost his career as a top surgeon, under the instruction of the wise Ancient One. Stephen begins his journey towards the understanding that it’s not all about him. He starts to learn sorcery skills and gain enthusiasm for discovering that there is a limit to his knowledge. After showing the clip, break into small groups and discuss the following questions:
12-to-15-year-olds: What is holding Stephen back in his pursuit for knowledge?
15 plus: Stephen is told: “You cannot beat a river into submission.” What is the meaning of that statement, and does it apply to Christianity?
All ages: Do heroes need to have some arrogance to be effective at helping others?
Read Philippians 2:1-18 together. This passage focuses on imitating Christ’s humility and doing things without grumbling. Return to your small groups to explore the following questions:
All ages: Can you think of a time that you waited for a long time for something? What happened - how did you feel when you finally got what you’d waited for?
12-to-15-year-olds: Have a closer look at verse 13; does this mean that God has a purpose for all of us? How do we know what our purpose is?
15 plus: If you do a selfish action, but produce a good outcome, is the action bad?
All ages: Can you describe in your own words, the meaning of the passage?
All ages: Is this passage too idealistic? Can we ever reach the standards of Christ?
