I think it's safe to say most people enjoyed DOCTOR STRANGE. While not perfect, it definitely had some very unique visuals, as well as a fun climax that both involved being a rebuke of "city destroying" action, as well as having a hero who uses their wits instead of their fists to defeat a villain. So when it was found out that Dan Harmon was brought on to help with reshoots and rewrites, the internet went nuts. And after the film, people wondered what should be attributed to him. Did he come up with the WiFi password and Beyonce jokes? And was the climax of the (SPOILER) multiple deaths of Strange his (which did seem very RICK AND MORTY)? We thought we'd never know for sure!
Well we got our answer, sort of. According to director Scott Derrickson, in an interview with Moviefone, practically none of Dan Harmon's jokes made it into the final cut:
There are some jokes that might have stayed in there, but for the most part, the scenes were a little too out in Dan Harmon-land, even for DOCTOR STRANGE.
Derrickson also had this to say about Harmon:
Well, Dan is a proper genius. He really is…Meeting him in person — he's odd and quirky — but what he did was, he came in, saw a cut of the movie, and had a really striking analysis. Because he hadn't read any of the scripts and didn't know the Doctor Strange mythology and I'm not sure how much of a comic book fan he was. But he saw the movie, loved it, and had some breakdown things that were very helpful. That alone was probably his biggest contribution…. He was the voice we needed to hear at the time, and I will always be thankful and watch anything he does. He's a brilliant dude.
So there you have it. Apparently neither the WiFi and Beyonce jokes, nor the clever climax, were Harmon's. From the sounds of it, it seems like he acted more as a consultant, someone without preconceived notions to help with structure and such, but not really in any of the writing itself. Which might've been for the best, as DOCTOR STRANGE worked as is. But I'd still look forward to a Dan Harmon superhero film. What about you guys?
While no longer in theaters (for the most part), DOCTOR STRANGE will be released on DVD/Blu-Ray February 28th, 2017.
The comment section exists to allow readers to discuss the article constructively and respectfully, focused on the topic at hand.
What’s Not Allowed