Find out who is the character present in the radio show, series and film that is behind the origin of Doctor Strange
With its premiere in March 2022, “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” stars Stephen Strange, a former surgeon who becomes an apprentice of magic, is given the responsibility of living as a Sorcerer Supreme and ultimately becomes the Master of the Mystic Arts.
Although the origin of the character as a hero has already been portrayed in Marvel comics for decades, and is part of the narrative of “Doctor Strange” (2016), the inspiration for the creation of Strange has even deeper roots.
Created in 1963, Doctor Strange was conceived by Stan Lee and Steve Ditkobut for the development of the Master of Mystic Arts, the duo was motivated by an ancient character known as “Chandu, The Magician”.
Chandu, who?
“Chandu, The Magician” was a popular radio show created by Harry A. Earnshaw and Raymond R. Morgan. With its first broadcast in the 1930s, the work was later aired in the 1940s and 1950s.
In production, Chandu’s mission was to protect humanity from all evil threats and, for that, the magician had skills such as teleportation and projections of illusions and his astral form.
In addition, the character also won a series for cinema, which was named “The Return of Chandu” (The Return of Chandu, in free translation), where the actor Bela Lugosi brought the role of Chandu the Magician to life.
The series, which contains 12 episodes, was shown on the big screen from October 1, 1934. However, the following year, its original form was revised and the production was relaunched as two films: “The Return of Chandu” and “ Chandu on the Magic Island”.
Each film was 65 minutes long and the episodes were divided as follows:
“The Return of Chandu” — chapters 1, 2, 3 and 4
“Chandu on the Magic Island” — chapters 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12
What’s the plot?
It is worth remembering that the series “The Return of Chandu” accompanies Frank Chandler, a man who had magical powers and who spent a good part of his existence in the East, where he is known as “Chandu the Magician”.
In the plot, Frank is in love with Nadji of Egypt, a princess who is being sought by a group known as the Sect of Ubasti, who firmly believe that, with the sacrifice of the princess, they will be able to resurrect the body of their last High Priestess, Ossana.
Thus, throughout the plot, Frank and his family face several challenges to protect Princess Nadji of the Ubasti sect, using both magical and non-magical means.
Source: Recreio
