The whole movie is in the past?

[Slushy]

In The Winter Solder, Strange was mentioned out of nowhere. I'm assuming he's already Dr. Strange at this point because why would Hydra keep tabs on some doctor?

Also based on Civil War,

Spoiler

Neither credits scene has a tie-in to Dr. Strange even though its the next Marvel movie to come out.

And

Spoiler

I think at a later point in time for one of the upcoming sequels, after coming into contact with the Avengers, Strange will heal Rhode's spinal injury.

Just something I was thinking about tonight after watching the trailer during the previews before Civil War.

 

[Silvermoth]

He was a brilliant surgeon. Maybe he helped fix up someone they wished would have remained incapicated?

Or maybe they had access to some sort of algorithm that could detect who was likely to become metahuman and strange's probability was high enough to pose a threat?

 

[BarryAllen]

They mentioned him among other important people. He's a well-known, world-renowned neurosurgeon. There's nothing more to it.

This movie will take place in the present.

 

[JB33]

Nobody really knows. That's the point of the algorithm for Project Insight.

I doubt there was an explanation for all the other millions of people that were targeted by the helicarriers either.

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

They mentioned him among other important people. He's a well-known, world-renowned neurosurgeon. There's nothing more to it.

This movie will take place in the present.

Why was a neurosurgeon a threat to a secret cabal?

 

[Web-Head]

Skip to :40 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DgGY_snj-I

 

[InternetPeople]

Why was a neurosurgeon a threat to a secret cabal?

Because the algorithm is said to target anyone who may become a threat to HYDRA. Personally, I think including Strange by name was more fan-service than anything.

 

[jaqua99]

They mentioned him among other important people. He's a well-known, world-renowned neurosurgeon. There's nothing more to it.

This movie will take place in the present.

I wouldn't be sure. Wasn't he name dropped when Sitwell was discussing gifted individuals/project insight?

 

[InternetPeople]

The algorithm was said to target future threats. Doctor Strange is definitely that. Teach you for not putting your Facebook settings on private.

 

[Silvermoon]

Ultimately, the name drop in The Winter Soldier was done as an Easter Egg/nod to fans.

That said, a lot of people take the name drop of Strange in TWS to mean that he already has his powers, but take a look at Sitwell's actual dialogue in the scene (emphasis by me):

Jasper Sitwell: Zola's algorithm is a program...for choosing Insight's targets!

Steve Rogers: What targets?

Jasper Sitwell: You! A TV anchor in Cairo, the Undersecretary of Defense, a high school valedictorian in Iowa city. Bruce Banner, Stephen Strange, anyone who's a threat to HYDRA! Now, or in the future.

Rogers: The Future? How could it know?

Sitwell [laughs]: How could it not?! The 21st century is a digital book. Zola taught HYDRA how to read it. [Steve and Natasha look at him in confusion] Your bank records, medical histories, voting patterns, e-mails, phone calls, your damn SAT scores. Zola's algorithm evaluates peoples' past to predict their future.

So just because Strange was mentioned doesn't necessarily mean he already has his powers/was already a threat to Hydra. It could just as easily mean that something in his past pointed to him eventually becoming a threat to Hydra. And what lead to the algorithm predicting a future thread doesn't even have to be something related to the mysticism of the character. His exceptional skills as a surgeon (for example) could have been one of the things that put him on Hydra's radar. Or it could be his political leanings, his moral/ethical viewpoints, his relationship with some other person... there's a myriad of things (and/or a combination of things) that could have put him on the target list. It doesn't *have* to be his mystical powers that made him a potential/future threat to Hydra at the time of The Winter Soldier

With pretty much everything from the first Avengers film on happening "when the film comes out"/time between films is the time that's passed in world approach (IM3 being an exception since it takes place during Christmas but came out in May), unless or until they tell us otherwise, I don't see Doctor Strange being any different/it wouldn't surprise me if it continues the trend and also (roughly) 'takes place when the film comes out'.