Okay I'm gonna say this once before disability pride month ends and then it's gonna be out of my system: Doctor Strange is a disabled icon, and the way he's handled (in the MCU, at least) provides so much that I, as a person who grew up with a physical disability, have wanted for a very, very long time in disability representation.
The short version is:
His disability, which is acquired during Doctor Strange (2016), stays a part of him; he never becomes not disabled, and his narrative arc moves away from healing his disability and focuses on other things, including personal growth
In the time loop with Dormammu, he saves the world through his intellect and his familiarity with chronic pain. His chronic pain is portrayed as an asset
Magic becomes his accessibility aid, but it never completely heals him; he is still, fundamentally, disabled and seemingly cannot physically do all tasks with his hands even with the aid of magic
Magic (the accessibility aid) empowers him. Literally, he gets superpowers from the thing he sought as his aid. How cool is that, and how subversive is that narrative compared to the mainstream belief that aids are some kind of "burden" on disabled people?
He fulfills a variety of roles to his supporting cast, who never infantilize him, and is as complex and multifaceted as he was before his disability
The writers never infantilize him either; he's given a love life, is poised as a father figure, and is forced to face the consequences of his (sometimes reckless) actions
In the MCU, he's a prime example of media shifting away from tired tropes about disability, and as a flagship character for a highly visible, multi-billion-dollar franchise, he paves the way for many other characters to continue to shift media towards more positive and complex portrayals of disability
Full thoughts are below the cut!
It's common knowledge that Doctor Strange's hands are mangled in a car accident, with permanent nerve damage resulting from his injuries and the countless fruitless surgeries to repair them. The first movie almost seems to be setting his narrative up to fulfill the tired old trope of "character with a disability embarks on a journey to heal said disability, and does so successfully, often through miraculous/supernatural means". This is the lowest and lamest form of representation, of course, because it treats disability as a narrative crutch, an identity that can be donned to start the Hero's Journey and doffed once said journey has been completed. These narratives in media contribute to the toxic idea of "if you just try hard enough, you'll overcome it!" and the other equally toxic idea of "disabled people who 'overcome their disability' are the best kinds of disabled people!". Moreover, they just feel like an inordinate slap in the face to those of us who are stuck with our conditions lifelong and were so excited to see a character who was like us and had an interesting story where the end result wasn't, surprise, becoming not like us any longer.
But then Doctor Strange takes a hard turn and no longer just wants to use his magic to heal his hands. In fact, his hands become the secondary narrative, and his fight against the Zealots becomes the primary narrative...and I love it. This primary narrative finishes with Doctor Strange trapping Dormammu by sacrificing himself in an endless time loop; this is an intellectual power-play that utilizes his best attributes (his cleverness, his intellect, his stubbornness and iron will, his deep underlying need to help people, and, surprise!, his familiarity with chronic pain!!) to literally save the world. Let me say that again: his familiarity with chronic pain is one of the things that lets him save the world.
In subsequent movies, magic becomes his accessibility aid. He's able to use his magic to help his hands be better at some things, but that doesn't necessarily mean that he can do everything with his hands now (see that one scene early in DS:MoM where he chooses to tie his tie with magic instead of with his hands physically on his tie). At the same time, his accessibility aid--magic--is also fucking awesome. He has incredible superpowers because of it; portals, spells, shields, blasts of energy, whips--it's literally the coolest accessibility aid possible. He's still a disabled person; he can't heal himself, and he still can't physically do everything with his hands, even with the aid of magic. But he's an empowered disabled person. He's one of the strongest superheroes; the odds of orchestrating Thanos' defeat would have been astronomically miniscule without him, and he's shown to be capable time and time again in battle.
His hands and his disability never again become the narrative, either. His story doesn't need to focus on that, and so it doesn't. Instead, we get to see Doctor Strange, a disabled man, being snarky and sassy with Tony Stark. We get to see Doctor Strange doing his best to help out Peter Parker--and, importantly, suffering the real-world consequences of his well-intentioned, but reckless, actions. We get to see Doctor Strange dealing with heartbreak with Christine, fulfilling the role of found father figure to America Chavez, and seeking solace and understanding in Wong. He's written as a whole person, and he's never infantalized by his supporting cast. Neither is he infantilized by the writers and shielded from the consequences of his own actions.
I genuinely, honestly hope that the Marvel writers never give Doctor Strange an out from his disability. I pray that they continue to treat him as the full and complex character he's been fleshed out to be. In the comics, they returned his non-disabled hands to him, and I think you can imagine why I disliked that so intensely. He doesn't need his hands to be healed to do great things, but plenty of irl disabled people need to see the media's narrative around disability start to move away from tired old tropes and toxic positivity. Doctor Strange does that for us, and, as a flagship character in a highly visible, multi-billion-dollar franchise, he paves the way for many more characters to begin doing that, too.
If I listened to the beat of your heart, the beat of your heart, the beat of your heart, what would I hear? I do wonder on a weekly basis. At least weekly. Goodness.
- A.A.
My beloved, if you listened right now, you'd hear the sound of a syncopated arrhythmia flip-flopping around in my chest as I struggle to calm myself from your sweet, lovely words. Hopefully that won't disappoint you, dear one, but who needs a steady heartbeat, anyway? Such a thing is trivial in light of your radiance <3
"I'm going to stop you right there." You held up your hand, inviting Stephen to cease both his exercises for the day and the (surely) horrific train(wreck) of conversation he was headed down.
"What?" he scoffed, voice tainted with the exhaustion of pain. "Are you going to tell me to play nice? Say please and thank you and tell you how grateful I am for how much you're helping me? Because that would be a lie. I'm not grateful. And you're not helping me. I'm not going to pretend you're doing me any favors here."
"You say that as if I don't groan every time I see your name on my calendar. No, I'm not going to tell you to be nice. I was going to tell you that you're wrong. I have a DPT, asshole. I'm a doctor of phy—"
"Yeah, well, you're not an MD. And you're definitely not a surgeon."
Your eyes flickered from his hands to his face.
"From the looks of it, Mister Strange, neither are you."
"I have a PhD."
"Yeah, and I have people who love and care about me and don't wrap my entire identity into my work."
Slumping back in his chair, Stephen shook his head. After a generous roll of his eyes, he cocked a brow.
"I'm going to stop you before you tell me that love and the power of friendship is the point of living. At least I'm smart enough to know that at the end of the day, we're nothing but a momentary speck in an indifferent universe."
"Then what's the point of a world-renowned surgical career?"
"I was saving lives." He avoided eye contact, stating the words as if he had said them so many times before. He might as well have read the label on the jar of therapy putty across the table.
You crossed your arms and reclined back in your seat.
"But if, as you say, we're nothing but a momentary speck in an indifferent universe, those lives are irrelevant. So what was the point of it all? Really? If you're such a genius, enlighten me."
Stephen narrowed his eyes at you. After exactly two beats of his heart, he sucked in a breath.
"I had to be the best. I was the best. And now I'm...well, now I'm nothing."
"You're not nothing, Stephen. You're—"
"If you try to tell me I'm still important to the grand scheme of existence, I swear to...well, not to God. Just stop while you're behind. This is fucking pointless."
"No. I was going to say that while you're not nothing, you are my most insufferable patient. Mrs. Bernardi will be furious you stole her title. But don't worry. I'll make you a certificate next week to hang next to your diploma."
"Diplomas."
"See you next week, Stephen. You complete fucking pain in my ass."
As you walked away, Stephen's gaze lazily drifted in your direction. His jaw ticked. And maybe, just maybe he could let that new title mean something. Even for a slice of a second.
What did they say about rock bottom again? Seems like he was bound to find out. With a little help from unexpected places.
ROSE. ROSE. ROSSEEE OH MY GOD I'M AN ABSOLUTE MESS OVER THIS. A WHOLE STEPHEN ONE SHOT FOR ME??? IN MY INBOX??? WHAT DID I DO TO DESERVE YOUUU YOU ARE TOO KIND TO ME OMGGG TT_TT
But also jsidfjsdf my god thank you for finally correcting that "Bachelor's degree" line from the first movie. FINALLY, I get to tell Stephen he's wrong and it's a <i>doctorate</i> I'm a doctor oh my god he's never been wrong about anything in his life and <i>this</i> is what he screws up??? It's so intensely personal to me lmfao thank you for letting me live the fantasy of CORRECTING that hahahaha
and oh my god his sass in this. his snark. the way he's mean but depressed and also expects a whole-ass lecture about the power of love and friendship (I CACKLED).
THE LITTLE CERTIFICATE. "Stephen Strange, most insufferable patient". it's PERFECT SO HELP ME GOD I WILL MAKE ART OF THIS.
hhhh and that little ending. I've reread this like 4 times now. I'm McLosing It over this but I LOVE YOU THANK YOU FOR THIS AMAZING SURPRISE TT_TT
"I want to split your skull open and study every facet of how your brain works."
Followed by the immediate oh shit. Oh shit. Oh shit.
"I don't mean that in a murdery way. I mean that in a 'I love how you move through the world way so much I need to consume it to fully understand it'. Please don't call the police. That would end terribly for everyone."
ARCHER MY BELOVED! my little meow meow 😭❤️
Fortunately for him (and unfortunately for me) I absolutely get what he means by the first sentence. The clarification is very appreciated though 😂 and may be one of the more romantic things I've ever heard in my life. time to pick on him for rambling and ask for more kissing, less talking
Eve is such a smash. In fact, I am down on one knee for her. I have a ring. I am begging for her to look my way.
Elias/Xu Fu is also a smash. I would live a thousand lifetimes just to be the person on set with him doing his hair and makeup at the crack of dawn before a day of filming tbh
Qin Shi Huangdi is a pass but he doesn't care because he can, at any given moment in time, actually take his terra cotta army and go fuck himself
