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The Marvel Cinematic Universe spent Phase One assembling the Avengers, and Phase Two creating a conflict between Iron Man and Captain America (and their loyalists). Phase Three, which began with Civil War and comprises 10 films over the next three years, shoulders the dual burden of resolving the Infinity Stone storyline while introducing audiences to dozens of characters who are far less recognizable than Spider-Man. But after seeing how Strangeonly hints at ties to the main thread, it bodes well for how Ant-Man and the Wasp will continue those heroes’ stories, Black Panther will feature in his eponymous standalone movie, and Captain Marvel will finally put a female lead on the map.

The MCU’s gender problems linger in Strange—Rachel McAdams’ talents feel wasted playing Strange’s love interest, and the movie fails the Bechdel Test in spectacular fashion. But the dominant fear for the universe’s Borg-like expansion is how it will continue to add more characters to an already crowded stable. Doctor Strange has memorable, complex characters and action sequences, along with a visual style that sets it apart from the previous 13 Marvel films. If its many team-up movies start to sag under the weight of gratuitous crossovers, at least the studio knows it can do origin stories right.