Kevin Feige Shows-Up To Watch DOCTOR STRANGE Frontrunner Keanu Reeve Kick-Ass In JOHN WICK

We've seen a huge list of names attributed to Marvel's massive casting search for Doctor Strange. Names such as Ewan McGregor, Joaquin Phoenix, Jared Leto, Oscar Isaac, Keanu Reeves, Ethan Hawke, and the heat-magnet Matthew McConaughey (True Detective, Dallas Buyers Club, Interstellar). While this might seem like an overload of actors circling for one role, this was the same case for Marvel finding an actor to play both Steve Rogers (Captain America) and Peter Quill (Star-Lord).

They are being extremely tough with their casting, and are likely trying to find someone good enough to take on the the important role. It's been said that Stephen Strange will eventually replace Tony Stark as the face of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. A huge feat and Marvel needs to make this casting choice perfect, or this concept might not work as they planned.

TheWrap is now stating the search might be two three frontrunners with a couple still in the race for the lead role. Colin Farrell fresh-off landing the lead in HBO's True Detective is the newest name added to the mix. Previously linked actor Benedict Cumberbatch makes comeback and newly resurrected action star Keanu Reeves is apart the group as well. However, it might seem like one of these gentleman is wooing Marvel a bit more.




Marvel's Kevin Feige actually showed-up to a screening of Keanu's latest flick John Wick, with the actor and director in attendance. Which is being strongly compared to the action-level of the original Matrix, earning a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from early reviews. While it says a lot that Kevin would make such a public appearance to the film of an active casting candidate. It should be noted that Adrianne Palicki is also in the film, who takes the role of Avenger Mockingbird in the Agents of SHIELD series.

Palicki has confirmed there are plans for Bobbi to make the leap to films, which could mean she's already filmed scenes. It could be just the case of Kevin sporting one of his Marvel alumni. Another theory is that Keanu is actually the main frontrunner, and Feige wanted to see audience reaction to the film first-hand. Ever since it's screening at SXSW the buzz has been huge, and it continues to impress critics and moviegoers alike. This new life given to Reeve's recent foggy action career, could be the final bit of heat needed for him to land the role.

I've already suggested that Marvel work fast to get Wick director Chad Stahelski on a project, before other studios try to lock him into a franchise. This could also be the case of Feige trying to figure out if Chad would be a good fit at Marvel as well. Chad has gone from stuntman to second-unit director to feature director in such a small span of time, this kind of talent will be noticed by a major studio very soon. It's said that excellent word-of-mouth could see Wick earning a lot more than originally projected for it's opening weekend.



Keanu Reeves is actually one of the only actors candid about the process. Talking with Collider it actually sounded like this was the first time he had heard about being a fan-favorite for the role. This could have led to him getting his agent to talk to Marvel about the idea. Reeves is famously known for being against sequels, and a Marvel contract could scare him away. However, he recently mentioned on the Jimmy Kimmel Show that his favorite film experience was making the Matrix trilogy. Could this mean he's a bit more open to a franchise role, if he's sort of clued-in to the overall plan?

Let's not forget that Keanu Reeves has worked with Doctor Strange's director Scott Derrickson on The Day The Earth Stood Still.

Joaquin Phoenix Finalizing Deal To Lead Marvel's DOCTOR STRANGE?

Collider reports that Marvel Studio is currently in final talks with Oscar winner Joaquin Phoenix (Her, The Master, Gladiator, Inherent Vice) to take the lead role in Doctor Strange. I guess we'll hear actually confirmation soon, since pre-production is expected to begin this fall/winter. There are a few skeptics in the community that believe that Phoenix could still turn-down the role. LatinoReview has word that deal isn't quite finalized, but still in-the-works.

I'm curious if we'll see any of the other "linked" actors such as Benedict Cumberbatch, Jack Huston, Tom Hardy and Jared Leto join the project in villainous/supporting roles.

SOURCE: COLLIDER

RUMOR: EVIL DEAD's Fede Alavarez And Co-Writer Rodo Sayagues Developing DOCTOR STRANGE For Marvel?

LatinoReview is reporting on a rumor concerning a new project at Marvel. Apparently the studio is impressed by the success of the Evil Dead reboot. Even with the mixed reactions most liked the film with it's minor flaws. Sources tell the site that writer/director Fede Alavarez and co-writer Rodo Rayagues are meeting with Marvel or even pitching a film. Which just might be Doctor Strange which will be released along with Edgar Wright's Ant-Man in Marvel's Phase Three post-Avengers 2.

A draft of the script written by Thomas Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer had been shopped around to potential directors not too long ago. Marvel's new trend is to develop their own directors with unique visions instead of hiring big names. Benedict Cumberbatch (Hobbit Trilogy, Star Trek Into Darkness, Crimson Peak, Sherlock) has long been a fan favorite to play Dr. Stephen Strange but no actual casting development has been reported. A rumor over the Summer from some respected sources pointed to Marvel introducing Strange in Thor: The Dark World.


Fede's connections to Sam Raimi might not hurt his chances considering both Spider-Man and Strange are Stan Lee/Steve Ditko collaborations. I have pegged Raimi to be a prime candidate so having Alavarez in the mix sounds about right. Since Marvel isn't likely to get Sam sign on to another franchise with Army of Darkness 2 in development. Nothing too solid here since Fede has talked about making Evil Dead 2 and Evil Dead 3.

Chris O'Dowd Confirms Small Role In THOR: THE DARK WORLD, Could He Be Playing Doctors Donald Blake, Stephen Strange or Hank Pym?

Irish comedic actor Chris O'Dowd has confirmed to Indiewire that he's shot a scene for Thor: The Dark World. He had been previously unannounced which will likely be the case for the majority of the smaller roles in the film. The question is, factoring in his high profile could Chris be playing an actual Marvel character in the film?

"I think I'll do more dramatic stuff and I think I have some stuff coming out that's a bit more dramatic. I don't know if I'd do an action movie because I don't know if I could keep a straight face honestly, I just think it's so silly. Like I love watching them but I can't imagine me doing one. Actually, you know what I've done, just for fun because I didn't think there was any way that I could be in a superhero movie, so I've done a scene in the new "Thor" movie, just for that. I just do like one scene, which was quite fun."

One theory is that he could be playing Jane's ex-boyfriend Dr. Donald Blake who was mentioned in the original film. Along with being at least close to Thor's height which Chris could pull-off. Blake in the comics is Thor's alter ego and fragile human form (having a mobile disability).

Another possibly could be Dr. Stephen Strange aka Doctor Strange. It's expected that Strange will be likely cast by a European actor and talk over the Summer via ThePlaylist that Strange could show up in the sequel has been mentioned by a couple different sources. Considering his high profile it wouldn't be hard to see Marvel quietly casting O'Dowd in that role or even Ant-Man's Dr. Hank Pym for that matter. Since The studio has a tendency to hire actors named Chris for their lead roles (Hemsworth, Pratt and Evans). However, it seems like Blake is the most likely role he's taken as Chris downplays ever starring in a action film.

CAST EM': Five Actors For DOCTOR STRANGE

Rumors of Marvel introducing audiences to Dr. Stephen Strange in Thor: The Dark World have been coming from a couple of different sources. Not to mention Orb of Agamotto showing up in Odin's vault has seemingly given enough evidence to believe this might be happening. The orb is scrying crystal ball used by Doctor Strange for clairvoyance. It has been known to open gateways between dimensions. It seems like an excellent way to raise the awareness of the character before moving forward with his solo adventure. Another reason why Guardians of The Galaxy was chosen over Strange and Black Panther. Considering that the Strange film also has a script completed and had been going out to directors last November. A couple of names that have been linked to play Strange include Johnny Depp and out of the running Aussie actor Joel Edgerton (Warrior, Zero Dark Thirty).  I've put together a decent enough list of candidates that Marvel should at least consider.

JOHNNY DEPP: Depp has long been linked for the movie along with Guillermo del Toro as it's director. He has the fifth Pirates of The Caribbean film in development and a possible sequel to The Lone Ranger. It could be an easy payday for the actor but it wouldn't make sense to see Depp in the role as he might steal Thor's thunder.

BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH: Ben has been long rumored to be in talks with Marvel Studios for a role. That has been mentioned more than once and has since led him to visit the offices while promoting  Sherlock. A few things might hold him back from taking the gig which includes the third Sherlock series, work on The Hobbit/Stark Trek Into The Darkness and commitments to the George Smiley (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) sequels.

KARL URBAN: Best known for supporting roles in The Lord of The Rings and Stark Trek franchises. He's also taken on action roles in Bourne Supremecy and more recently with Dredd. The Kiwi actor seems like a perfect match if they're going to make the series more of an adventure thriller. While there have been positive reviews for Dredd, Karl hasn't found a franchise he could end up holding up himself. The only thing that could stop him is commitments to Star Trek 3 and a Dredd sequel.

KIT HARINGTON: If it does turn out to be true that Strange will be working alongside Jane Foster it could be interesting to see him develop a love interest with Darcy (Kat Dennings) during The Dark World. Kit Harington seems perfect if Marvel is aiming for a younger take on the character. He has a history with director Alan Taylor working with him on Game of Thrones. The only issue here is his commitments to the series and his other films' promotional tours. Marvel could have their next Chris Evans/Chris Hemsworth if they ended up going someone like Kit.

VIGGO MORTENSEN: It's rumored currently that Marvel is in talks with Viggo Mortensen (Lord of The Rings, History of Violence, Eastern Promises) for a Phase Two film. ScreenRant has already speculated it could be Dr. Strange for Thor: The Dark World. If this is true it would a triumphant casting choice since Viggo could be as big as landing Hugo Weaving, Samuel L. Jackson and Robert Downey Jr. previously. Not to mention he has been turning down blockbusters left and right lately (Man of Steel, SWATH, Dark Tower), so wrangling him would be quite the feat. Mortensen is an actor who chooses projects based on their director. If they're able to actually sign-on Guillermo del Toro (was attached to direct at one point) or another high-profiled director, it could be enough to get him to sign on.

RUMOR: Will DOCTOR STRANGE Show Up In THOR 2?

ThePlaylist has mentioned a rumor that Marvel Studios could introduce Dr. Stephen Strange in Thor: The Dark World. They say that Strange would be a colleague of Jane Foster in the film having a role similar to Erik Selvig. However, a lot of their other Marvel "rumors" in this pod-cast have turned out to be untrue, outdated or incorrect. We know that Marvel has a script for Doctor Strange and they have a tendency to reveal new characters in separate movies. The one thing they haven't started is introduce "franchise" heroes in other films. There have already been rumblings that Black Panther could end up be showing up in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. This move could help boost awareness of the characters post-Avengers 2.

Aussie actor Joel Edgerton (Warrior, Animal Kingdom, Zero Dark Thirty) is wanted for the role of Strange but seemingly is no longer in the running. He had been linked with meeting Marvel previously for a role (Ant-Man?), so it's believable. It's a shame if Joel doesn't end up playing some Marvel hero as he'd be perfect to lead his own franchise. That being said, Benedict Cumberbatch's name has been circling for a role as well but nothing concrete has been announced.

Benedict Cumberbatch And Steven Moffat Visit Marvel Studios

Marvel has posted a string of images of Benedict Cumberbatch and Steven Moffat visiting Marvel Studios. The Sherlock actor had long been rumored to be in talks with Marvel for a possible starring role in a future film. Originally he was linked to Doctor Strange which had it's script put out to directors last August, so it's very possibly that's the film they're looking to cast him in. Ben was given a tour of Marvel's office and comic department, possibly getting a ton of comic book goodies. Along with a room that may or may not have concept artwork for a Marvel movie.

Cumberbatch has been getting a lot of attention for his recent supporting roles in films like War Horse and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. Not to mention his high profile villain role as Khan in the upcoming Star Trek sequel. Steven Moffat's involvement here could mean that they might be looking for him to write or direct a film as well. Moffat is the creative mind behind Sherlock and the reboot of Doctor Who, not to mention his very successful sitcom Coupling. He also worked with Ant-Man writers Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish on the script for The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of The Unicorn. All signs are pointing to Doctor Strange as it seems a project Moffat and Cumberbatch could easily pull off.