Scarlett Johansson and Morgan Freeman joined hands for Lucy in 2014 and gave a new life to a long-standing myth that made the movie butt of many jokes.
The Marvel star plays the titular character in the action sci-fi, wherein her character gains unique abilities and uses them to gain vengeance against her perpetrators. Then there’s Morgan Freeman’s character Professor Norman, a renowned neuroscientist, who attempts to add scientific temperament to the plot by explaining how most species only use a fraction of their cerebral capacity. Lucy manages to harness the full potential of her brain and become very powerful.
Needless to say, not many bought this theory and the movie attracted more myth-busting articles than critical appreciation. However, long before Lucy took shape, there were plans to use the same idea to explain the concept of magic in Doctor Strange’s world.
How Back to the Future Director’s Scrapped Doctor Strange Movie Explained Magic
Benedict Cumberbatch has become one of the most loved actors among Marvel fans through his portrayal of the Sorcerer Supreme in Doctor Strange. The story of the primary protector of Earth against magical and mystical threats accumulated more than $1.5 billion across two stand-alone movies thanks to its refreshing take on realms of the MCU that other superhero movies rarely touch.
However, the MCU era isn’t the only time filmmakers attempted to bring Marvel comic book’s cult character Stephen Strange to life in live-action form on the big screen.
In the 1980s, Back to the Future director Robert Zemeckis and co-writer Bob Gale started working on a script focused on the supreme wizard, but with a few issues on their hands. They had to muster something that respected the character without bloating the budget.
A big part of Gale’s script was dedicated to establishing that magic is real in the world of Master of the Mystic Arts. It is in this section where the script used the concept that Scarlett Johansson‘s movie used so boldly. An example read (via Den of Geek):
“You’ve experienced things you don’t understand, so you call it magic. It is no more magic than radio, electricity, or aspirin. Your science teaches correctly that a normal man only uses ten to fifteen percent of his total brain capacity. I am able to use over 50 percent of mine. This allows me to do things that you call ‘magic.’”
The script also included a climactic battle in which Mordo brings Dormammu to Earth. Nevertheless, Zemeckis and Gale’s plans failed to move past the pre-production stage, and like magic, that vision of Doctor Strange never managed to come to life.
What Meryl Streep Told Scarlett Johansson About Her Performance in Lucy
Johansson’s movie that sees Lucy evolve beyond human logic might’ve received plenty of backlash for its prevailing theory, but the actress was still praised for her performance.
The Black Widow star impressed none other than Meryl Streep with her portrayal of Lucy, and when the iconic actress crossed paths with her at the Oscars, she made sure to praise Johansson. She recalled (via MTV UK):
“A couple of years ago, I was at the Oscars, and I saw Meryl Streep. She came to me, and she was like, ‘Oh, it’s you’ and I was like, ‘Yeah, yeah’. She goes, ‘I loved Lucy so much.’ I was like, ‘What, like, Meryl Streep loved Lucy.'”
The two-time Oscar nominee described the moment as the best fan interaction she’s ever had and thought she could retire in peace after that praise.
