Kodansha's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine just confirmed it would include a one-shot "Doctor Strange" prequel in its next issue. It will have the title "Doctor Strange: Episode O" and tell a short story about Dr. Stephen Strange before he learned the mystical arts. The plot will follow Strange during his formative years as revered neurosurgeon in New York City. In line with this, fans can assume that Strange will wear his best lab coat in his panels.

The "Doctor Strange" prequel will be inside the upcoming installment of Weekly Shonen Jump. According to Comic Book, the issue will hit shelves on November 22, while it will air in theaters over in Japan on January 27, 2017. The manga will have artist Haruichi as its illustrator. Crunchyroll adds that he is known to have won the second newcomer merit award in the young category of the 70th Chiba Tetsuya Award in 2014 at the age of 21. As for his work on the "Doctor Strange" prequel, he said: "The film itself has a 200 percent fun, but with the power of my manga, I want to exceed your expectation as much as possible. I will draw with all my love for Marvel. Look forward to it!"

The cast includes Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock, Star Into Darkness, The Imitation Game), Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave), Rachel McAdams (Sherlock Holmes), Michael Stuhlbarg (A Serious Man), Mads Mikkelsen (Casino Royale), and Tilda Swinton (The Grand Budapest Hotel). The film will be under the direction of Scott Derrickson (Sinister) and written by Derrickson, Jon Spaihts (Prometheus), and C. Robert Cargill (Sinister).

Meanwhile, this is not the first official manga prequel related to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This year, "Avengers: Age of Ultron" had the same treatment with its own "Episode O" one-shot. The short story also debuted in Weekly Shonen Jump.