Not only Spider-Man, Doctor Strange also has an equally important role in current and future movies.
In Spider-Man: No Way Home (Spider-Man: No Way Home), side Next to Spider-Man/Peter Parker (Tom Holland), Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) is the name that gets the most attention. He is one of the most important superheroes in the Heroic Era IV (Phase 4) of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and once demonstrated his powerful strength in Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and mini- series What If…?. However, Doctor Strange’s role is not Spider-Man’s teacher like Iron Man/Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) but has a greater mission.
1. Doctor Strange holds the secrets of the multiverse
At the beginning of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Peter Parker (Tom Holland) has to deal with his identity being announced to the world by Mysterio/Quentin Beck (Jake Gyllenhaal). From where he lives to school, everywhere “Child Spider” goes, he becomes the center of attention. Even Peter’s group of friends Ned Leeds (Jacob Batalon), MJ (Zendaya) and Aunt May (Marisa Tomei) also became the focus of criticism and investigation because of Mysterio’s death.
More seriously, the trio lost their chance to enter University because of public controversies. Having run out of options, Peter Parker turned to Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) to help erase humanity’s memories. The Sorcerer Supreme’s mistake in using magic causes the multiverse to connect, and a series of villains from the old Spider-Man series come to threaten everyone’s lives.
As the Sorcerer Supreme, Doctor Strange knows the rules and the dangers they bring to the world. That’s why he decided to upgrade Spider-Man to his magical armor so he could capture the villains. Spider-Man: No Way Home may be Peter Parker’s story, but it is the power of Stephen Strange that opens up and solves all the problems, as well as setting the stage for a new era of both Spider-Man and the MCU. .
2. Doctor Strangetreats Spider-Man like a true Avenger
In Spider-Man: Homecoming (2016), Tony Stark sees Peter Parker as just a child and tries to protect him from away from trouble. He sees himself as a teacher and protector to teach the young superhero the meaning of responsibility when Peter is too eager to join the Avengers and causes trouble. Peter’s death in Avengers: Infinity War (2018) haunts Tony and makes him accept time travel in Avengers: Endgame (2019).
Meanwhile, Doctor Strange fought alongside Spider-Man through two great battles with Thanos (Josh Brolin). Therefore, he considers him an equal and a true Avenger. Therefore, the Doctor Strange encourages Peter Parker to fight and solve his own problems instead of relying on others. The two have a unique combination when sharing tasks against evil groups.
3. Doctor Strange contributes to Peter Parker’s growth
Although he does not play the role of a teacher like Tony Stark, Doctor Strange still plays a significant part in Peter Parker’s journey to adulthood in Spider-Man: No More Home. He is the one who reveals the fate of the villains including Green Goblin/Norman Osborn (Willem Dafoe), Doc Ock/Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina), Sandman/Flint Marko (Thomas Haden Church), Lizard/Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans) and Electro/Maxwell Dillon (Jamie Foxx) died when confronting Spider-Man.
As the Sorcerer Supreme, Strange’s mission is to protect the world at all costs and not care about others. At this time, Peter Parker wants to “repair” the villains so that they can avoid a tragic fate after returning to their universe. Acting against his own teammates to defend the villains shows Spider-Man’s remarkable maturity. He knew how to courageously do what he thought was right, no matter who he faced.
The battle of Doctor Strange and Peter Parker is not only visually pleasing when magic meets science, but also shows that Spider-Man is one of Marvel’s most intimate and emotional superheroes. He always wants to protect everyone, even if they are evil or he himself has suffered great loss.
