Here are some important things to know about Doctor Strange's Sanctum Sanctorum.
With the recent release of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, more and more Marvel fans are gaining interest in the nitty-gritty details of Doctor Stephen Strange and his world. From the extent of his power to his struggle with morality, Doctor Strange is by far one of the most interesting and most powerful magic-users within the MCU. That said, not everything is known about Stephen Strange, and as his character gets more screen-time within the MCU, curiosity grows. One thing specifically that has gained particular interest is the Sanctum Sanctorum, which can be seen in the first solo Stephen Strange film Doctor Strange.
Sanctum Sanctorum is a Latin translation of the Hebrew term for "Holy of Holies," often referring to an exceedingly holy place within an already holy place. Doctor Strange’s Sanctum Sanctorum serves as an HQ and residence for the hero and other practioners of the mystic arts. This three-story building has varied in appearance from the comic books to the MCU, however, the Sanctum’s interior has remained constant. Much like the TARDIS, the Sanctum is much larger on the inside than on the outside. Here are four things to know about the Sanctum Sanctorum.
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The Sanctum Sanctorum is a fictional building that serves as a residence and headquarters for Doctor Strange. The building was also formerly used as the headquarters of the Defenders and the New Avengers. Originally introduced in the Doctor Strange comics, the Sanctum Sanctorum joined the MCU in the origin film Doctor Strange. The appearance of the Sanctum Sanctorum is that of a regular townhouse, but the inside is far more spacious than the exterior of the building suggests, with numerous magical yet dangerous artifacts and an arrangement of rooms that changes all by themselves. Consisting of three floors, the third floor is the precise location of the Sanctum Sanctorum which is where Strange’s meditation room, occult library, and where the Book of the Vishanti is kept. The Sanctum has a distinct circular skylight referred to as the “Window of the Worlds” with four lines across it, the Seal of Vishanti, which is meant to protect the Sanctum from invaders.
The Sanctum Sanctorum is located at 177A Bleecker Street in New York City’s Greenwich Village. While many fan theories have suggested this to be a reference to Sherlock Holmes’ Baker Street address, per CBR, it is actually a reference to the address of Strange Tales writers Roy Thomas and Gary Friedrich, who shared an apartment in the 1960s. According to the comics, the building’s foundation was built upon a site of pagan sacrifices and Native American rituals, making it an ideal spot to attract supernatural energies. While this has not been confirmed within the MCU, this explanation as to why the Sanctum was built on 177A Bleecker street seems to be the best explanation for why and how Doctor Strange attracts such a vast amount of supernatural energy to one location. As of 2016, the location can be found on Google Maps.
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The Sanctum serves as Stephen Strange’s full-time home and while he is the Sanctum’s only full-time resident, he is not the only hero to be housed in the Sanctum. In the comics, Strange’s apprentice/lover Clea was a resident for a time as well as his friend and partner Wong and the apprentice sorcerer Rintrah. As of 2022, Clea, Wong, and Rintrah have each made appearances of varying degrees in the MCU. The Sanctum also served as the HQ for the New Avengers for a short time, housing and protecting every member as the Sanctum was disguised as an abandoned building meant to become a Starbucks. The Defenders also spent time living at the Sanctum when it was their headquarters.
After the Sanctum was built, Strange cast a spell of mystical force to protect the building from invaders. The building has also been externally disguised as a form of protection, though that spell was temporary. Despite the spells placed on the Sanctum, it was initially destroyed in a siege of mystical forces during the Midnight Sons era. During the World War Hulk storyline, the Sanctum was invaded by alien forces of Warbound with its defenses being torn down by Hiroim. The Sanctum was then taken over by the Hood’s army who were ultimately defeated due to the great level of destruction done to the building. Doctor Strange is eventually forced to retreat from his sanctuary when the Mighty Avengers take over at which point Brother Voodoo is called to neutralize Strange's magical defenses. Doctor Strange has even had to destroy the powerful defenses of the Sanctum to evade discovery and exploitation by an enemy.
Started at MovieWeb in November of 2021.