Making a Marvel Cinematic Universe movie is an iterative process, so plenty of material ends up on the cutting room floor. Avengers: Infinity War was no exception, as screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely illustrated via CNET sister site ComicBook.com, through a behind-the-scenes photo of Doctor Strange wearing Tony Stark's Iron Man armor -- a moment we didn't see in the movie.
The image came from an alternate version of Tony (Robert Downey Jr.) rescuing Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) from Ebony Maw (Tom Vaughan-Lawlor), who was interrogating the Sorcerer Supreme on behalf of big bad Thanos.
So, there were other versions of this rescue. Some were just too awesome (and long) to keep. But still, one can dream... #Infinitywar #QuarantineWatchParty -SM pic.twitter.com/ZToVfWpnHg
— ComicBook.com (@ComicBook) April 27, 2020
"So, there were other versions of this rescue. Some were just too awesome (and long) to keep. But still, one can dream… " McFeely said via ComicBook.com, with a shot of Downey and Cumberbatch against a greenscreen.
It isn't the first we've heard about this unused scene; concept art revealed in last year's Avengers: Endgame -- The Art of the Movie showed Strange in the armor. Marvel Studios visual development illustrator Phil Saunders also shared some concept art of the armor protecting Strange from Maw's nasty stabby needles in an Instagram post back in February.
Avengers: Infinity War is currently available to stream on Netflix in the US, but it'll transition to competing streaming service Disney Plus on June 25. Followup movie Avengers: Endgame is already on Disney Plus.
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Don't be surprised if the Dr. Strange-as-Iron Man concept is revisited sometime in the future, perhaps in Marvel's upcoming What If…? animated series, which explores alternative MCU timelines.
The Sorcerer Supreme's next solo movie, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, will be directed by Sam Raimi and is due out March 25, 2022, after Disney delayed many of its upcoming Marvel movies due to the COVID-19 lockdowns and quarantines.
