Who will be the Sorcerer Supreme? I feel like of all of the Phase 3 Marvel roles, Doctor Strange one might be the trickiest for Marvel to cast – and from the sounds of it, they’re taking their time before nailing down the actor who’ll be wearing the cape and doing all of the funny hand gestures at things from other dimensions.
The role is currently out to the usual crop of not-busy white actors of a certain age, with the usual suspects like Johnny Depp and Benedict Cumberbatch’s names getting thrown around. But those two are incredibly busy and even more expensive, which makes them more wish list candidates than anything else.
Then there’s someone like Boardwalk Empire‘s Jack Huston. According to a report from Empire, the actor, who played the masked hitman Richard Harrow in the HBO Prohibition drama, is getting the eye from Marvel Studios for director Scott Derrickson’s Doctor Strange.
If true, the choice would make sense: Huston’s a skilled actor and gave a guy with half a face and a frog’s voice the deepest well of gravitas in Boardwalk Empire. Hell, Richard’s exit from that series is one of the most poignant in what’s an otherwise pretty cynical series. And if Marvel has proven anything, it’s that their movies are at their best when they let their performers enjoy some of those big, sloppy emotions (see Cap’s final scene with Peggy at the end of The First Avenger or anything involving Groot in Guardians of the Galaxy).
Huston just landed a role in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and you can see him in the art world drama Posthumous from director Lulu Wang.
[Source: Empire]
I hear they got Cumberbatch, Huston would have certainly done well. If they get <a href=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPfEo4uJESk&list=PLocEcTWE9CurT9BwLWSQiSVPMUU4GoNey&index=2″>the right actors</a> all the time, Marvel’s movie makers would keep pumping out hits.
I thought Benedict would be a great choice, mainly because of his voice, but this would actually make way more sense. Such a good actor, and he kind of does look like Dr. Strange. Crazy fact I just found out: He is John Huston’s grandson!
In all honesty I don’t want to see a Dr. Strange movie, the character is a B grade hero in the overall Marvel universe he is more akin to hanging with characters in the Marvel Knights group… characters like Dare Devil and Punisher, Powerman and Iron-Fist White Tiger and the like… None of the movies with Dare Devil or Punisher have been strong good money makers… although I personally like the Directors cut of Dare Devil. But I am afraid that a Dr. Strange movie could harm the overall Marvel Movie franchise… He might be okay as a supporting character but as a leading character could be a mistake.
The same was said about a Guardians of the Galaxy movie, the characters were considered even lower than B grade heroes in the Marvel Universe and it was amazing in the end, it all comes down to the script and the direction they take, the have the resources to do whatever they want and make it great. Personally, I’m excited about a Dr. Strange movie and casting Jack Huston would be a great move.
If so, I’m super ok with this. Amazing actor who took a character that sat in the background and made him one of the most cared about souls in the show.
Make it so! He’d be fantastic.
Best casting news I’ve ever heard. Seriously, all you Marvel marketing people who lurk around looking for fan reaction to these sorts of things: This is gonna be like when you leaked James Gunn’s involvement with GotG; not everybody in the world knew who he was, but everybody who did was thrilled.
That’s your man, Marvel.
This is the first Dr. Strange casting rumor that actually has me excited.
That would be fantastic casting!
If it’s true – he was my first choice…and if this site had Disqus, I could prove it!