Recently, I came across a clip on YouTube about Marvel’s Doctor Strange. I thought little about it when I first watched the movie (I think it was on an SQ Flight to Singapore) but just a week ago, when I watched it again, the scene had some profound impact on me.
Towards the end of the movie Doctor Strange (2016), Stephen Strange employs one of the most selfless and ingenious tactics in superhero cinema—trapping himself and the villain, Dormammu, in a time loop.
The time loop not only saves humanity, but it also raises some questions about sacrifice. Could one person endure eternal pain to protect others? What does it mean to choose to suffer for the greater good?
In this post, I’d like to explore some of these questions through ethical theories and mythological parallels, and reflections on Doctor Strange’s ultimate decision.
The Psychology of Doctor Strange
In the movie, Stephen Strange confronts Dormammu in the Dark Dimension. Dormammu is set on devouring Earth, but Strange knows he cannot defeat him by force. Instead, he creates a time loop using the Eye of Agamotto, a mystical artefact that controls time.
One of the most revealing aspects of Doctor Strange’s confrontation with Dormammu is his mindset as he creates the time loop. Rather than seeing it as a burden, Strange views it as a (painful) strategy to save Earth.
His conversation with Dormammu offers a window into his psychological state—calm, resolute, and unafraid of the consequences for himself.
When Dormammu exclaims, “You cannot do this forever,” Strange’s response—“Actually, I can. This is how things are now!”
By trapping himself in an endless loop, Strange gains control over a seemingly unbeatable foe.
Strange’s calm demeanour reflects not just acceptance but mastery over the situation, understanding that the only way to win is by continually losing. This paradoxical mindset reveals a deeper psychological strength: the ability to embrace suffering as a tool for victory.
Strange’s willingness to endure infinite death is solidified in his statement, “Yes, but everyone on Earth will live.” His pain is not a matter of concern; in fact, when Dormammu says, “You will suffer!” Strange replies, “Pain’s an old friend.”
This simple but profound line shows that Strange is not only accustomed to suffering, but he has also viewed it as an acceptable part of his life as Protector. Rather than fearing pain, he accepts it as part of his journey, a necessary cost for the greater good.
In the last moments of the conversation, Dormammu becomes desperate. He realises that Strange is not trying to win, but that he is willing to lose forever, to protect Earth.
Dormammu: End this! You will never win.
Dr. Stephen Strange: No. But I can lose. Again. And again. And again. Forever. That makes you my prisoner.
This is the crucial aspect of Strange’s mindset: Perpetual defeat is, paradoxically, the key to victory. By making himself a prisoner of the loop, he becomes the captor of Dormammu, forcing the powerful being into submission.
Exploring Sacrifice in Mythology
Although this is just a fantasy movie, I am intrigued by the idea and wanted to explore it from the perspective of mythologies and religions. Sacrifice is a recurring theme, often portrayed through characters, like Christ or Odin, who endure great suffering for the greater good.
Although there are many well-known figures who faced immense pain in their respective stories, most of their sacrifices were ultimately temporary, unlike Doctor Strange’s time loop and potential eternity of suffering.
Avalokiteshvara (Buddhism)
In Mahayana Buddhism, Avalokiteshvara (or Guanyin in Chinese tradition) is the Bodhisattva of Compassion, who vows to delay their own enlightenment and remain in the cycle of rebirth (samsara) to help ease the suffering of all sentient beings. I recall the vow of the Bodhisattva being…
“...not until the last blade of grass has achieved liberation.”
This is the closest to the idea of Doctor Strange’s time loop.
Avalokiteshvara embodies the ultimate form of self-sacrifice, choosing to endure endless reincarnation in order to guide others toward liberation from suffering.
Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, parallels Doctor Strange’s decision to trap himself in an eternal time loop to save Earth from Dormammu.
Both embrace infinite personal suffering to protect and ease the suffering of others. Their acts of compassionate sacrifice highlight the selfless commitment to a higher cause.
The Endless Punishment
Another parallel to Doctor Strange’s time loop is in the Greek myth of Prometheus. Prometheus defies Zeus by stealing fire and giving it to humanity, a gift that enables the birth of civilisation.
As punishment, Zeus condemns him to an eternal cycle of suffering: Prometheus is chained to a rock, and every day, an eagle devours his liver, which regenerates overnight, only for the torture to be repeated the next day.
Prometheus’s punishment is perpetual, mirroring the potential eternity of Doctor Strange’s time loop. Just as Prometheus endures endless pain for the benefit of humanity, Strange willingly embraces infinite suffering to save Earth. Both figures are bound to an unless cycle, where their personal torment serves a higher cause.
Different Perspectives on Sacrifice: Ethics and Choices
In exploring this subject, I realise that there were several ways to look at it. Philosophers have been thinking about sacrifice for a long time, and there are some fascinating approaches to understanding it.
Utilitarian Ethics: The Greater Good
Utilitarianism is all about outcomes. The end justifies the means. It asks a simple question: What action will result in the greatest happiness or the least amount of suffering for the greatest number of people?
I recall a question once posed to a philosopher. “Would you die for your brother?”
He answered, “No. But I would die for 2 brothers. 4 half-siblings. Or 8 first cousins.” The argument is mathematical. 2 brothers would have, on average, the same amount of genes as 1 me.
So when faced with a choice, a utilitarian would weigh the consequences and choose the option that benefits the most people, even if it involves endless personal pain or loss.
This framework is common in situations where big decisions affect many people. Imagine being responsible for making a call that affects the entire group. A utilitarian approach would be to ask, What’s best for everyone, even if it’s hard on me?
It’s about taking the long view and accepting personal sacrifice because, in the grand scheme of things, you’re making the world better for more people.
In Doctor Strange’s time loop, his suffering is enormous, but from a utilitarian perspective, it’s totally justified because the alternative would be far worse. That’s the crux of utilitarian thinking: It’s worth it if the outcome is better for more people.
Deontological Ethics: Duty Above All
Deontological ethics isn’t about results—it’s about rules. This perspective is based on the idea that certain actions are inherently right or wrong, regardless of what happens afterward. It’s closely tied to the idea of duty—following moral rules or principles because they’re the right thing to do, not because of the outcome.
Think of it like this: if you believe in a principle, then the consequences don’t matter as much as staying true to that principle. It’s the idea of doing the right thing, even if it’s hard, uncomfortable, or doesn’t lead to the best results.
This thinking can be tough when the right thing to do isn’t clear, but deontological ethics gives a sense of clarity: you know what your duty is, and you follow it, no matter what.
In real life, we see this when people hold firm to their beliefs, traditions, or commitments, even when it’s inconvenient or costly. Whether it’s a parent sacrificing personal time to always be there for their kids or someone standing by a moral code even when others don’t, deontology emphasises that duty comes first.
Virtue Ethics: Being a Good Person
Then there’s virtue ethics. Instead of focusing on rules or outcomes, virtue ethics is about character—what kind of person are? It emphasises developing good habits and traits, like kindness, courage, and wisdom, that help you decide naturally.
This is the ethics of the Bodhisattva of Compassion. Mercy is a virtue; not a duty or a formula.
In sacrifice, a person with strong virtues might not even think twice about it—they’ll do the right thing because they’ve traits like compassion or courage. It’s not about weighing the pros and cons or following a specific rule, but about who you are as a person and what your actions say about your character.
Virtue ethics is a personal and reflective approach, one that speaks to our long-term growth as human beings.
Where Does Doctor Strange Fit In?
Doctor Strange’s time loop decision can fit into these ethical views, depending on how you look at it. He sacrifices himself again and again, not for any personal gain, but because it’s the right thing to do—whether you look at it from a utilitarian perspective (he’s saving billions of people), from a duty-based perspective (he’s fulfilling his role as Earth’s protector), or from a virtue perspective (he’s developed the courage and compassion to endure suffering for others).
We often face these ethical questions in smaller, everyday ways. Whether we’re choosing to put others first, stick to our principles, or grow into better versions of ourselves, we’re all navigating the same complex world of sacrifice. Understanding these perspectives helps us think more clearly about our choices and what kind of person we want to be.
Sacrifice in Real Life: The Everyday Loop
While Doctor Strange’s sacrifice is fictional, the ethical dilemmas he faces are real. In life, love often compels people to endure pain and hardships for the well-being of others. The motivation to sacrifice for family, partners, or close friends mirrors the emotional complexity of Strange’s actions.
Love, only for love.
When we think about real-life examples of sacrifice, it’s often love that drives individuals to make the most profound decisions. Parents who work tirelessly to provide for their children, taking on multiple jobs or forgoing their own comfort to ensure their children’s future. This type of sacrifice is not motivated by duty or obligation alone, but more by a deep emotional connection and love.
Lovers, too, may make sacrifices to support each other through difficult times—putting the other’s needs above their own, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health.
Family members willingly bear the emotional and financial weight of caring for loved ones during illness, ageing, or hardship, motivated by a bond that transcends obligation.
These acts of sacrifice may not involve the cosmic stakes of Doctor Strange, but they carry the same ethical weight. The decision to put another’s well-being over our own can be just as heroic.
Like Doctor Strange’s willingness to endure endless suffering for humanity, real-life sacrifices for loved ones are often made without hesitation, knowing that the only reward is the well-being of those we love.
Returning to Doctor Strange: Reflections on Sacrifice
As the loop resets, and Dormammu is forced to relive the same moment, Doctor Strange’s sacrifice achieves its goal of saving Earth. His willingness to endure infinite pain raises questions about how far one could go to protect others.
Strange’s story invites us to reflect on our own lives. How much should we sacrifice for the greater good? Where do we draw the line between personal suffering and helping others? And, like Strange, do we have the strength to endure the time loop?
In the end, Doctor Strange’s time loop is a metaphor. His story challenges us to consider our ethical responsibilities and the moral complexity of enduring hardship for the sake of others, especially those we love.
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