Now that we’ve put the whole Ant-Man directing fiasco behind us, we can turn our attention back to the new most pressing question ever for Marvel movie fans: Who will be Dr. Stephen Strange?
Just a week after director Scott Derrickson took to Twitter to proclaim himself the lensman for the upcoming Marvel supernatural foray Doctor Strange, the rumor mill is already churning overtime on who will don the Cloak of Levitation, the Eye of Agamotto and the Orb of Agamotto as Earth’s Sorcerer Supreme (damn, we never realized how much stuff Doc Strange totes out on a regular basis).
While early rumors attached both Johnny Depp and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Deadline is reporting (in a story re-reported by Crave movie site /Film) that Marvel’s wish list for the role currently features burgeoning stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Tom Hardy as frontrunners in the studio’s collective mind.
Of course, it’s hard to imagine both men WOULDN’T be among the prime contenders from Marvel’s perspective, considering both are building impressive acting resumes as they edge toward super-stardom.
Hardy has been building steam steadily since his double-shot of Christopher Nolan films Inception in 2010 and The Dark Knight Rises in 2012 and should get another career boost inheriting Mel Gibson’s role in next year’s Mad Max: Fury Road.
Meanwhile, Cumberbatch is riding a wave of public love from high-profile film roles in Star Trek Into Darkness and The Hobbit films, as well as the BBC mega-hit series “Sherlock.”
But the biggest question around casting either Hardy or Cumberbatch as Stephen Strange (the same one that haunts another rumored contender for the role, recent Oscar winner Jared Leto) is this: will any of these busy, much-in-demand talents want to tie themselves to an expected multi-picture deal so Marvel can feature the good doctor across their various Marvel cinematic universe projects?
I mean, you’re probably not signing a Tom Hardy or Benedict Cumberbatch without thinking how he might look alongside Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth and Chris Evans as a member of the Avengers, right?
Doctor Strange doesn’t have a release date yet, but if we had to hazard a guess, it’s hard to imagine it won’t be one of the previously unannounced Marvel films already scheduled to debut on either July 8, 2016 or May 5, 2017.
This Week in Film News – Week Ending 06/13/2014
This Week in Film News - Week Ending 06/13/14
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Comic-Con Leak Details Warner Bros.’ Plans Beyond Batman v Superman
Warner Bros.' upcoming slate of superhero may expand to Shazam, a Wonder Woman solo movie and a Flash and Green Lantern team-up.
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Star Wars Episode VII: Harrison Ford Injured On the Set
Harrison Ford has broken his ankle, and ironically, the Millennium Falcon was allegedly the culprit.
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Aquaman Will Be Played by Jason Momoa in Batman V Superman
A new report claims that Jason Momoa will play Aquaman, and that his apperance may be tied directly into the events of Man of Steel.
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Transformers: Age of Extinction – Exclusive Dinobots TV Spot!
Check out some new shots of the Dinobots in action!
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VIDEO: Sin City: A Dame to Kill For Trailer Gets the Band Back Together
Frank Miller’s epic graphic novels return to the big screen with some original favorites and interesting newcomers.
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Watch Seth Rogen, James Franco & Kim Jong-un In The Interview Trailer
New comedy sure to ruffle a few feathers.
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Dumb and Dumber To: Watch the First Trailer
Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels are back and they’re just as dumb as ever. Maybe even dumber.
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Sonic the Hedgehog Movie Announced by Sony
The producer of the Fast and the Furious movies will bring Sega's blue mascot to the big screen with a mix of live-action and CGI.
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Witching and Bitching Exclusive: Watch the First 5 Minutes
Watch the insane opening heist from Alex de la Iglesia’s horror-comedy Witching and Bitching, in theaters and on demand June 13, 2014.
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Next Star Wars Film Also to Shoot in UK
But does the Millennium Falcon have preferred parking at Wembley Stadium?
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Disney Wants to Make a Fourth Mighty Ducks Movie
Producer Jordan Kerner says Disney is interested in returning to the Mighty Ducks franchise and reveals his original plan to kill off Coach Gordon Bombay.
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Franco Brothers Team Up On New Film Based On Cult Classic ‘The Room’
Tommy Wiseau's cult classic The Room, dubbed by many as one of the worst movies ever made, has inspired the making of another film, set to star both James Franco and his younger brother Dave Franco.
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Leprechaun: Origins – Watch the First Trailer
Your first look at the long-planned reboot of the Leprechaun franchise, which Lionsgate has just downgraded to straight-to-video.
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Napoleon Dynamite Unveils Statue Of Napoleon Dynamite
The cast of Napoleon Dynamite has reunited for the beloved cult film's 10th anniversary, unveiling aflippin' sweet bronze statue of the film's unlikely hero to mark the occasion.
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Report: Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hardy Top Marvel’s Doctor Strange Wish List
Hollywood soon-to-be A-listers sit atop Marvel’s vision of who should serve as Sorcerer Supreme.
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Pacific Rim 2 is Still Coming, Has a New Screenwriter
Guillermo Del Toro is co-writing the Pacific Rim sequel with Zak Penn, the writer of X2: X-Men United and Elektra.
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Ant-Man Hires Bring It On Director Peyton Reed
Peyton Reed will replace Edgar Wright on Marvel’s production of Ant-Man. Anchorman 2 director Adam McKay will rewrite the script.
