According to rumors, Marvel has been looking for someone to play Doctor Strange for approximately two years. Our own Jeremy Klumpp detailed the various reports that have circulated in the movie trades and fan press during that span in a recent post. It now appears that the studio has finally found the man to play the Sorcerer Supreme.
Deadline’s Mike Fleming reports that Benedict Cumberbatch is in negotiations to play the title role in Doctor Strange, which will be directed by Scott Derrickson (Sinister, Deliver Us From Evil) and written by Jon Spaihts (Prometheus). The character is apparently the centerpiece of Marvel’s “Phase Three,” in which movies are going to be developed around a different set of characters from Iron Man, Captain America, Thor and the Avengers.
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Stephen Strange is a neurosurgeon who suffers an accident that damages his hands and renders him unable to perform surgery. Seeking a cure for his condition, he resorts to drastic means, eventually seeking a mystic in the Himalayas. Strange then picks up a different set of skills, training to become a sorcerer.
Cumberbatch (Sherlock, Star Trek Into Darkness) has been rumored to be atop Marvel’s list of actors to play Strange, but it was believed other commitments would prevent him from meeting the studio’s schedule. At one point, it appeared that Joaquin Phoenix was set to accept the role, but reportedly did not want to sign up for the multiple films (sequels, cameos in other films, etc.) that Marvel requires.
