The hunt for someone to replace Edgar Wright as director on Ant-Man continues, but according to Variety, Marvel has found someone to helm its supernatural superhero Doctor Strange: horror maestro Scott Derrickson (Deliver Us From Evil, Sinister). Talks are said to still be in the early stages, but Derrickson is Marvel’s top choice to direct the Phase III film and a deal is expected to be reached in short order. Oddly enough, Derrickson kind of looks like the Sorcerer Supreme, so at first blush this feels like a match made in heaven, especially if Marvel is looking to take more of a horror-tinged route with its master mystic.
In the midst of a slew of creative departures from Marvel Studios, it’s nice to hear that some genuine progress is being made on Doctor Strange, longtime passion project of impresario Kevin Feige. First appearing in the 1963 comic Strange Tales, Doctor Strange is a former neurosurgeon who loses everything after injuring his hands in a car accident (thus ending his surgery career), Stephen Strange travels to the ends of the Earth to seek out the mystical Ancient One in his Tibetan palace. Rather than curing the ailing doctor, he teaches Strange the art of mysticism, grooming him to become the Sorcerer Supreme, Earth’s primary defense against threats magical, mystical, and not of this world. Or, in layman’s terms, he is essentially Marvel’s answer to John Constantine, less the heavy drinking, smoking, and general lasciviousness.
Previously, it was rumored that Johnny Depp was being eyed to don the iconic red cape, but given his intense filming schedule and commitments to other Disney franchises like Pirates of the Caribbean and Alice in Wonderland, it’s looking less and less likely by the day. Personally, I think Matt Bomer or John Hamm could do justice to the good Doctor, but I’m sure there will be plenty of articles debating just that in the weeks and months ahead. If nothing else, it looks like Derrickson is excited to tackle the strangest part of the Marvel Universe:
My next movie will be STRANGE: pic.twitter.com/5pdbO6Op6j
— Scott Derrickson (@scottderrickson) June 3, 2014
What do you think of Derrickson directing Doctor Strange? Who would you like to see play Stephen Strange? Let us know in the comments below or tell me on Twitter.
I would love to see Mads Mikkelsen also.
Some other ideas would be Justin Theroux, Karl Urban, Zachary Quinto, Sharlto Copley, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jake Gyllenhaal (too young?) and ‘outside the box’ thinking – Javier Bardem.
Mads Mikkelsen could be great !
Pedro Pascale
He has a decent filmography. Exorcism of Emily Rose was great. Sinister was okay. The Day the Earth Stood still? Kinda worried. He did a Hellraiser sequel as well apparently. At least he has a horror/sci-fi background.
What I’m worried about are the action sequences. Those need to be intricate and well choreographed with lots of fast paced energy-blasting, entity-conjuring, portal-hopping, element-manipulating Bayonetta-like magic fights – it’s 2014, we’re past the mediocre way powers are used (like in the first X-Men films.) A good example would be the Dumbledore vs Voldemort fight in The Order of the Phoenix or how elements are manipulated in Avatar: Airbender/Korra – it needs to be BETTER than that for a Doctor Strange film.
Can someone please tell him that? I can’t bare to see mediocre magical action sequences, especially for this movie. Or an alternative, have Joss Whedon oversee things. Please? Chris Hardwick or someone?
PS, I hope he’s inspired by Guillermo del Toro for this film, because I can see del Toro making Doctor Strange.
I would want to see Johnny Depp play the good doctor. He’s already very strange and it would give a good excuse to put Depp and Downey Jr. in the same movie together