Earlier this week, Variety published a shortlist of actors for the titular role in the upcoming Doctor Strange film from Marvel Studios. While the film is not scheduled to be released until 2016, casting rumors have been milling around for almost three years, or two years before the movie was officially announced by Marvel.
At this point, it feels like almost every white, male actor between the ages of 25 to 55 has been rumored to be Dr. Stephen Strange, with some of them actively campaigning to be cast in the role. Which seems weird since the general public doesn’t really think of Doctor Strange as an A-list comic book hero.
But Doctor Strange isn’t your ordinary superhero. He’s Earth’s “Sorcerer Supreme.” He’s dark and mysterious. He’s the kind of role actors want even if they’re not attached to a multi-billion dollar film universe. It’s the kind of thing a lot of actors want to be a part of whether it’s Doctor Strange or Doctor Bong.
With so many actors rumored to be up for the role it can get a little confusing, so here is a handy timeline of casting rumors and Doctor Strange news:
April 2011: Almost two years before the official announcement from Marvel, Patrick Dempsey is the first actor to formally lobby for the role. While promoting Transformers: Dark of the Moon, McDreamy tells the Los Angeles Times that he’d “love to play Doctor Strange.”
September 2012: A rumor that not only will Strange appear in the upcoming Thor: The Dark World, but be portrayed by Viggo Mortensen has fans of Aragorn in a tizzy. Unfortunately, the rumor is quickly denied by Marvel Executive Vice President Victoria Alonso who wonders, “I thought he wasn’t acting anymore.”
January 2013: Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige announces “phase three” of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Ant-Man is the only confirmed “phase three” movie, but Feige heavily hints that Doctor Strange will also be joining the MCU.
March 2013: Doctor Strange has three key elements of a Nicolas Cage movie: it’s about a surgeon who gains mystical powers, facial hair, and more than likely the film set will be fully catered. While promoting The Croods, Cage mentions he would like to play Strange, but that he is also probably “done with comic book movies.”
April 2013: The Leftovers star Justin Theroux is not only rumored as the heavy favorite to be Strange, but also is apparently working on a script for the film. Theroux had previously written the screenplays for Iron Man 2 and Rock of Ages.
July 2013: The rumors that Joseph Gordon-Levitt would be joining Strange are denied by his reps faster than you can say, “Sanctum Sanctorum.”
November 2013: Thor: The Dark World is released. Doctor Strange does not make an appearance.
January 2014: Johnny Depp is finally rumored to be the pick for Marvel. Seriously, how was he not the first guy rumored to be Strange? A month later, Feige denies that Depp will be Strange, and essentially guarantees moviegoers another Pirates of the Caribbean movie.
February 2014:
#Marvel I’d like to play #DoctorStrange – let’s make this happen. pic.twitter.com/P53hcNjYEE
— Matthew Modine (@MatthewModine) February 23, 2014
April 2014: Captain America: The Winter Soldier is released. Jasper Sitwell (Maximiliano Hernandez) tells Cap that Hydra has been monitoring anyone they deem a threat. This list includes Stephen Strange.
June 2014: Jared Leto, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Tom Hardy are all rumored to be in the running for Strange. Leto posts a picture of himself with a mustache to Instagram, so obviously he’s interested, right? Cumberbatch tells a crowd at Comic-Con in July that his favorite comic book character is “Nurse Normal.” And Hardy doesn’t do anything to raise speculation.
Marvel announces that Scott Derrickson will be directing Doctor Strange. Derrickson’s previous directing credits include The Exorcism of Emily Rose and Deliver Us From Evil. Edgar Ramirez, who starred in Deliver Us From Evil, casually mentions that he has been speaking with the director about a role in Doctor Strange. Rumors swirl that it’s either Strange or his nemesis Baron Mordo.
July 2014: The comic world is abuzz with news that Joaquin Phoenix will be announced as Doctor Strange at San Diego’s Comic-Con. Sadly, Comic-Con passes with no announcements about casting for Doctor Strange, and earlier this month, Phoenix and Marvel stopped discussions about Strange.
August 2014: Boardwalk Empire‘s Jack Huston somehow gets thrown into the mix because we need at least one curveball rumor.
October 2014: The Variety slideshow article includes: Leto, Oscar Isaac, Matthew McConaughey (!), Ewan McGregor, Jake Gyllenhaal and Ethan Hawke. Only Hawke, Leto, and McGregor have been mentioned as possible candidates before the Variety piece, so it will be interesting to see if reps from the other actors deny this rumor.
Hey girl, according to The Hollywood Reporter, Ryan Gosling will be meeting with Marvel about the role of Strange, but also has a meeting for a role in DC’s Suicide Squad.
Lastly, Keanu Reeves was asked on Thursday during a Reddit AMA about Doctor Strange. While he said he didn’t know much about the character, he did say he’d like to make a sequel to Constantine!
With Avengers: Age of Ultron (May 1st) and Ant-Man (July 17th) both scheduled to be released next year, a casting decision made soon may mean a cameo for Doctor Strange in either movie. Marvel has yet to officially announce the release date for Doctor Strange, but July 8, 2016 is the rumored date with filming to begin next May.
