In the midst of all the announcements Marvel revealed today, there was one glaring omission. No, not the existence of Doctor Strange. We already know that the Sorcerer Supreme is definitely on his way. We’re referring to recent rumours concerning the actor who’ll be playing him. Speculation has fluctuated with such ferocity it’s a wonder anyone can keep up! First it was Joaquin Phoenix. Then it was Ethan Hawke. Then it was Phoenix again. Now, both of those names have since been abandoned in favour of British actor, Benedict Cumberbatch, who yesterday was revealed to be in Marvel’s crosshairs for the role. But did the studio settle the matter once and for all?
Fans today were chomping at the bit to hear the news confirmed by Marvel studio head, Kevin Feige, who led the conference. Alas, while Doctor Strange was shuffled around on the calendar – there was no mention of the Sherlock actor. “If it were confirmed,” Feige says, “we would have announced it today.” Whether or not that means he’s still in the running, or that it’s hogwash, remains to be seen.
Feige did confirm that the film will embody a new aspect of the MCU, much like Guardians Of The Galaxy did this summer:
“The idea of this film is to open up another corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe”, and that the mix of Earthbound and cosmic characters will “enter the world of Parallel Dimensions.”
It’s got to make you wonder whether or not the casting has played a part in the film’s updated release. Earlier this year when the studio announced a stream of new dates, the movie was slotted in for a July 8th, 2016 release. In light of the re-shuffling, Marvel have pushed Doctor Strange back to November 4th, 2016.
Check out the official press release from Marvel below for more info:
Come November 2016, the good Doctor is in!
At a special presentation at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige announced Marvel’s “Doctor Strange” would hit theaters November 4, 2016, marking the hero’s big screen debut.
Scott Derrickson will direct the film introducing the Master of the Mystic Arts to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
“It takes a while to work on these movies before they’re ready to come to you in theaters,” said Feige. “Doctor Stephen Strange, brilliant neurosurgeon, bit of an arrogant fellow who gets in a car accident and ruins what he thinks are the tools of his trade: his hands.
“In the Marvel Cinematic Universe version of the supernatural, that involves everything from quantum mechanics to string theory. The idea of this film is to open up a whole new corner of the cinematic universe. We want to enter, through Strange, the world of parallel dimensions.”