After several months of speculation, it seems that Marvel has finally found its Doctor Strange and it is none other than Sherlock Holmes/Khan himself, Benedict Cumberbatch. According to Deadline, Cumberbatch is in final negotiations to play Steven Strange.
While the decision may seem elementary, Cumberbatch came out as the winning choice over rumored contenders such as Johnny Depp, Jon Hamm, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ryan Gosling, Jared Leto, Tom Hardy, Ethan Hawke and Keanu Reeves. At one point, Joaquin Phoenix was in talks for the role but a deal was never finalized.
Cumberbatch was the studio’s choice very early on but due to his obligations to other movies and theatrical commitments, there was a conflict in scheduling. Now that the film is said to be shooting later than originally thought, Cumberbatch seems to now be free to play the Sorcerer Supreme.
This casting would be a pretty great coup for the Marvel and for Cumberbatch as Kevin Feige has stated that Doctor Strange would be the hub of the Phase 3 portion of the MCU and would be the central tie-in of the films in that phase much like Iron Man was in the last 2.
“What I can say is that Strange is being groomed to be the next Iron Man. The studio needs a new ‘hub’ character going into Phase 3 and beyond, as there is audience fatigue, aging stars and a need to move from Tony Stark/Iron Man as a ‘hub’ for films.”
As it is right now, rumors have it that the film may not be an origin story and with Scott Derrickson directing, we may even end up with a darker Marvel film than we have been accustomed to. Either way, let’s hope in the near future there is a Doctor Strange/Loki storyline just for the pure fandom of it all.
So what do you think? Can Cumberbatch pull off playing Doctor Strange? Who would you have rather see play the character if not him? Chime in below, ScienceFiction.com readers!
