Joaquin Phoenix won't play Marvel's Doctor Strange. That means somebody has to. We turn to the dark arts to figure out who it might be!
Here's what we know for sure about Marvel's Doctor Strange movie. Scott Derrickson (Sinister, The Exorcism of Emily Rose) is directing. Jon Spaihts (Prometheus) is writing. Joaquin Phoenix is not playing Doctor Strange. Which, of course, means we have to answer the question: who the hell is playing Doctor Strange, anyway?
To make things a little more scientific, and in order to appeal to our rigorous journalistic standards, we are consulting Doctor Strange's favored artifact, the all-seeing Eye of Agamotto. Since magic is all about intent, we are substituting a good old-fashioned Magic 8-Ball for the Eye of Agamotto.
Whatever. This will totally work, and it's a far more rigorous evaluation than most internet rumors are ever given anyway.
Jared Leto
At one point, Mr. Leto seemed to be the favored Sorcerer Supreme until Joaquin Phoenix came along and stole all the magic. Leto, like Phoenix, doesn't really need this role, let alone the six-movie deal and the screaming migraine that the press (guilty!) will give him for the next decade.
The Eye of Agamotto says? Ask again later.
Tom Hardy
The impossibly good-looking, sometimes improbably muscular, and one-time inaudibly masked in a Batman movie actor would be a great Doctor Strange. Why? Because he's a chameleon. How much of a chameleon is he? We'll see him as Max Rockatansky in Mad Max: Fury Roadnext year, he's playing both Kray Twins (cue an awesome Morrissey song), and he's about to play Elton John (in the aptly titled Rocketman) and Al Capone (in Cicero), as well as take the lead in a Splinter Cell movie. And that's not even all of it...
Have we mentioned that Marvel wants to start production pronto for a July 2016 release? Good luck!
The Eye of Agamotto says? Cannot predict now.
Benedict Cumberbatch
Mr. Cumberbatch is, of course, the internet's first choice to play every character in every superhero movie, and we won't sleep until he puts on a cape or some green make-up or something similarly ridiculous, because it's not enough that he's been Sherlock Holmes and Khan Noonien Singh (we forgive him for that one). After all, he hasn't had superpowers yet.
Anyway, he already denied involvement, but refused to confirm or deny whether there had been any talks. Then again, he loves fucking with the press, so you could ask him if he's playing Carol Danvers in Avengers: Age of Ultron, and he'd probably give you a convincingly cryptic answer. Still, his dance card looks pretty full for a guy who's expected to sign a six-picture deal for a movie that starts production in two months. Let's see what the 8-ball Eye of Agamotto has to say...
The Eye of Agamotto says? Concentrate and ask again.
Jack Huston
Mr. Huston is a fine actor, but nobody ever took this rumor particularly seriously, did they? He probably won't have time do play Doctor Strange since he's doing Ben-Hur, which is kind of like making six movies, anyway.
The Eye of Agamotto says? Don't count on it.
Ethan Hawke
This is a new one. Scott Derrickson has worked with Ethan Hawke before (on Sinister), he looks the part, and he's got just enough space on his upcoming schedule to make shooting Doctor Strange in early 2015 (plus whatever other cameos Marvel deems necessary) entirely plausible. The problem is, well-connected sources (like, y'know, Deadlineand Variety) have been throwing serious shade on this one.
The Eye of Agamotto says? Reply hazy, try again.
And there you have it, ladies and gentlemen! Proof positive that any one of these fellas may or may not actually be talking to someone who could possibly know anything at all about the Master of the Mystic Arts in Marvel's Doctor Strangemovie. If anyone needs me, I'll be growing a sweet mustache in case Marvel wants to give my agent a ringy-ding-ding.
Feel free to use this article as a primary source, because the Eye of Agamotto knows all!
Next time, we'll speak with our own Hollywood insider, Jambi, to find out who will be playing the Dread Dormammu!
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