Oddly enough, Marvel Studios has yet to officially announce that they’re working on bringing Doctor Strange to the big screen, but all signs point towards a desire to put it on the fast track and release it sometime in 2016. Sinister director Scott Derrickson is at the helm (though, that too, is missing an “official” confirmation), and we’ve already heard that they’re looking at actors like Benedict Cumberbatch and Tom Hardy for the titular role.
Some new updates made their way online today, showing that the wheels are definitely turning, and the project is without a doubt headed our way. The first bit of new information came from Derrickson himself, who spoke to JoBlo about the film and his excitement to bring the Sorcerer Supreme to life:
“I think when you consider the work that I’ve done it makes sense that he’d be my favorite comic book character, at least int he Marvel universe. Probably the only comic character in that mainstream world that I’m suited to. I feel such an affinity for the character and the story and the ambition of those comics, especially the original Stan Lee and Steve Ditko “Strange Tales.” I think those are my favorite of all of them. The entire history of the comics is extraordinary.”
“I wanted [the directing job] really bad. More than any other project that I’ve gone after, I felt compelled to do everything in my power to gte on that project. Genuinely felt like I was the right guy to do it. I think the nicest surprise for me, the most unexpected surprise, is the positive reaction. Both to me getting the film; I guess I expected the detractors, and they just haven’t been there. It’s all be quite positive.”
“More than that, it’s just the general enthusiasm for Doctor Strange. I think people who know the comic world and the Marvel universe, they all feel the same way I do, which is, “This is the Marvel movie we’re all ready to see now.” This movie needs to exist. The outpouring excitement that people have shown is the thing I’ve been most pleasantly surprised.”
He definitely has the passion to do the character justice, and his resume suggests that he’s the perfect guy for the job. He’s got a great horror background that would make his darker sensibilities a great fit for the character, if Marvel allows him to go that route, that is. How “dark” they’re willing to go with this risky property remains to be seen, though.
As for the supposed shortlist of actors, Derrickson said:
“I can’t talk about that, but I understand that you have to ask.”
Speaking of that shortlist, we actually heard another name before Cumberbatch and Hardy joined the mix. According to Badass Digest, Dallas Buyers Club co-star and Academy Award winner Jared Leto was on Marvel’s radar as well. Now, that rumor has been confirmed by Deadline, who is also reporting that Prometheus scribe Jon Spaihts will rewrite the previous draft (which was penned by Thomas Dean Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer).
So, not only do we have a director in place, and possible stars in consideration, but we’ve got a new writer on board to finalize the script and get the ball rolling. Official announcements be damned, this movie is definitely happening!
Doctor Strange currently has no release date, though we expect all of Marvel’s official announcements for the film to arrive at Comic-Con this July. In the meantime, let us know how you feel about these updates in the comments section below.