Yesterday, Marvel Studios shocked the world by revealing that Michael Douglas would be playing Dr. Hank Pym in Edgar Wright’s ‘Ant-Man’. Now, a new rumor concerning the lead of another film that has been discussed to also appear in Phase Three along with the Scientist Supreme.

According to Latino Review, Marvel is in the process of meeting with ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ star Johnny Depp about playing Dr. Stephen Strange in the character’s first solo live-action film. Previously, a few actors have been said to be circulating the role like Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Viggo Mortensen, but in both of those cases, nothing ever came of those rumors. Then, word got out that the story called for a 30-something version of the good doctor at the start of his heroic journey and that the film would be a new hub for the Marvel Cinematic Universe similar to what ‘Iron Man’ was. However, if the House of Ideas were to land Depp, I’m pretty sure that they wouldn’t turn down a 50-year-old major Hollywood star like him that happens to be a passionate fan of the material.

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After ‘The Lone Ranger’ flopped and came under some harsh cultural criticisms, Depp bounced back with a full slate of films, including three movies with Marvel parent company, Disney. Currently on the books for him at the House of Mouse are ‘Into The Woods’, ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, and ‘Alice In Wonderland 2’, but he’ll also be appearing in ‘Transcendence’, ‘Mortdecai’, and ‘London Fields’ over the next few years. So, if he were to take the role as the holder of the Eye of Agamotto, then he’d probably have to movie around his sequels in order to make ‘Doctor Strange’ fit into his schedule in time for what I can assume is a 2016 release. After all, if they want to make Strange a focal point of the company’s third phase of films, chances are that it will follow ‘Ant-Man’, which drops in 2015.

Back when JGL was the rumored star, I wasn’t on board due to how young he looks, so now with Depp on deck, I think they’re getting close to better choice. However, like Abed said in the second episode of the current season of ‘Community’, the actor can sometimes be “the bad kind of good”. Personally, I still feel as though Timothy Olyphant, Joseph Issacs, Joseph Fiennes, Patrick Dempsey, and Aidan Gillen would be a better lot of actors to choose from to play one of the most powerful sorcerers in the Marvel Universe, but we’ll see who actually lands the role when the official announcement is made, whenever that is.

What do you think about Johnny Depp potentially playing Doctor Strange? Do you think that he’d be a good fit or do you favor another actor more than Captain Jack Sparrow? Let us know in the comments below.