Jake Gyllenhaal Offered Role In SUICIDE SQUAD As Tom Hardy Drops Out

The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that Tom Hardy has essentially dropped out of David Ayer's Suicide Squad vacating the role of Rick Flagg.

Hardy originally signed onto the role alongside Will Smith as Deadshot, Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Jared Leto as The Jocker, Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang and more recently Viola Davis as Amanda Waller. It's expected we could even more DC Comics rogues in the film including Jesse Eisnberg's Lex Luthor.

Jake got ripped for Soutpaw.

Apparently, scheduling has become a bit of an issue as the shoot will conflict with his other project The Revenant.

Along with his promotional press tour for Mad Max Fury Road that would be happening at the same time as the film would be shooting in Toronto.

That is seemingly a bigger priority as it's being directed by Birdman's Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and would see Hardy reunite with his Inception co-star Leonardo DiCaprio.

Birdman just earned nine Academy Award nominations so any project coming from Inarritu is going to have major heat. I guess you can't blame Hardy for chasing an awards-level movie like Revenant.

The studio has sent out an offer to actor Jake Gyllenhaal and they are interested in him taking over the role of Rick Flagg but it's unknown at this point if he'll take it.

Considering his fan-favorite performance in last year's Nightcrawler and his upcoming boxing pic Southpaw, I'm sure fans would embrace this recasting. Jake also previously worked with Ayer on the L.A. cop drama End of Watch.






Jake also played a convincing serial killer in The Shoes' music video for Time To Dance.



SOURCE: THR

RUMOR: Deathstroke Also Apart Of SUICIDE SQUAD Lineup?

ComicBookMovie has word from a Reddit user that claims to have been apart of a test-group at Warner Bros. for David Ayer's Suicide Squad. Revealing possible plot details of the film, which I will exclude here. One piece of information which was a major standout, Deathstroke is apparently apart of the film. This person also claims to have seen concept art for the villain as well.

We've been hearing rumblings for weeks that Deathstroke could be apart of the film. While nothing official or from our usual trusted channels have commented on this. I'm suspect of this, only because of the source, not because of likelihood of this happening. Deathstroke is an extremely popular villain, thanks to Arrow and the video game Arkham Origins. It doesn't hurt that he's also apart of the new Suicide Squad lineup in the comics. Harley Quinn didn't join the team until 2011, so they are including newer members for the film.

It should be noted that the original lineup for Suicide Squad in the Justin Marks script is drastically different than the current one reported by the trades. It's also possible that the film is still undergoing rewrites from David Ayer and lineup is still being adjusted. Test-groups could be there to help flush-out which characters should be changed or the direction of the film. Then again, this event might have never taken place.

One opinion I've heard makes the most sense here. That Tom Hardy's Rick Flagg could be a studio distraction and that character might actually be Deathstroke (or rewritten to become him). Flagg seems like an extremely obscure character for someone as big as Tom Hardy would play. Considering he's leading the hugely anticipated Mad Max: Fury Road and was being offered roles like Doctor Strange, Sandman in Sinister Six and lead role in X-Men Apocalypse. You'd expect his role in the film would be a lot bigger.

If you look at a majority of the lineup, they're mostly known and recognizable DC Comics characters. Flagg, for the most is only known to die-hard DC fans and likely wouldn't have the awareness that Deathstroke would. Plus, who wouldn't rather see Hardy play an iconic character like Deathstroke? We know that Hardy is able to pull off a role like this that could allow crossovers to other DC films, (Batman solo film or Supermax?).



SOURCE: COMICBOOKMOVIE

Oscar Level Actresses Wanted For Amanda Waller In SUICIDE SQUAD

We're already reeling from the huge casting announcement concerning Suicide Squad, but it's not over yet. There are already rumblings of who the studio wants for the role of Amanda Waller. The ruthless government agent who runs the Suicide Squad program. According to Variety, the first choice is Oscar nominee Oprah Winfrey (Color Purple, Butler, Selma) but Oscar winners Viola Davis (The Help, Ender's Game, Doubt, Prisoners, Blackhat, Knight And Day, Law Abiding Citizen) and Octavia Spencer (Snowpiercer, The Help, Insurgent) are also on their radar.

I would be fine with any of these ladies in the role, but Viola Davis has played more characters like this and could be very convincing as the menacing Waller. Her experience in action films might make her a more suitable casting choice. However, like I've been saying on Twitter this role could end-up being similar to Tyler Perry's oddball casting in David Fincher's Gone Girl, only to become a highlight of the film.


SOURCE: VARIETY

Warner Bros. Confirms Cast For SUICIDE SQUAD And Will Smith Will Indeed Lead As Deadshot

Warner Bros. has made it official and has revealed a majority of the casting for David Ayer's Suicide Squad. Confirming that Oscar winning actor Jared Leto (Fight Club, Lord of War, Panic Room, Requiem For A Dream, Dallas Buyers Club) will indeed be playing our new Joker in the film. Along with Will Smith (Bad Boys, I, Robot, I Am Legend) taking the lead role of Deadshot, which I had been claiming since the first wave of casting news. DC alumni Tom Hardy (Mad Max Fury Road, Inception, Dark Knight Returns, RockNRolla) is playing Rick Flagg and Margot Robbie (Wolf of Wall Street,  is indeed playing Harley Quinn.

Some outlets were claiming Aussie meat-head Jai Courtney (Die Hard 5, Terminator 5, Jack Reacher) was taking the lead part of Deadshot, that sounded insane to me considering his terrible acting track record. This announcement confirms he's actually playing volatile Aussie DC villain Harkness aka Captain Boomerang, perfect casting if you ask me.

In an extremely odd move on the part of Warner Bros., they've cast Cara Delevinge as Enchantress. A magic focused villain created in 1996, who shares a name with a famous sorceress Thor baddie who was created back in the 1960s. I'm curious if Warner Bros. can even use the character name since Marvel has been protective of their characters' copyrights. This isn't a case of character sharing like Marvel has done with Fox in the past, since these are two separate comic book companies. You might remember that DC Comics' Shazam! was originally Captain Marvel, but Marvel ended-up forcing DC to change the name. It's also bizarre the DC character design looks a lot like Marvel's Lady Loki, check out the comparison below.

SOURCE: WB

David Ayer's SUICIDE SQUAD Cast Finalizing Talks And Will Smith Out Of The Mix?

THR is reporting that actors Tom Hardy, Margot Robbie, Jai Courtney and Jared Leto are finalizing talks to take roles in David Ayer's Suicide Squad. Margot is expected to play Harley Quinn with Jared Leto likely set for the new Joker. It's bit weird that people are reporting Aussie Jai Courtney is being looked-at for the lead role of Deadshot (leader of the group), while British actor Tom Hardy is linked for Aussie villain Harkness. I'm really hoping meat-head actor Jai Courtney isn't the lead of this film, and he's actually being placed in the secondary role of Harkness. Hardy seems more viable as the face of the franchise, and having actors like Leto, Hardy and Robbie playing second fiddle to Courtney seems just insane to me.

The film will begin pre-production in February with shooting expected to start in April. Production stages will be in my neck of the woods at Pinewood Studios Toronto. Films shot in the city are known having set photos leak in bulk, examples include Total Recall and Robocop. I expect we'll start seeing set images start rolling-out online in April. The release date is set for August 5th, 2016 and will be the first film post-Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

This news oddly has Will Smith's name missing from the lineup, which could mean he's out of the mix. We've been cautious about Smith's participation mainly since he's notorious for entering sequel talks and backing-out last minute. I'm unsure if Will would be willing to commit to sequels this film would likely spawn. It's normal for comic book contracts to include multiple film commitments. Having a feeling these characters will be showing up in other DC Comics films in the future, since most of the characters are Batman villains. Nothing says he won't end-up in the film, it just seems odd he's not apart of this update on the film.

SOURCE: THR

UPDATED: Jai Courtney Wanted For Deadshot Role In SUICIDE SQAUD

Wow, talk about terrible casting. Variety reports that Warner Bros. is eyeing Aussie Jai Courtney (Die Hard 5, Jack Reacher) for the main role of Deadshot in David Ayer's Suicide Squad. I say terrible because Jai is known for some pretty lousy acting. His addition to the new Terminator film actually made me mad. I won't say that this could ruin the film, but having better actors surrounding him it will be glaring how out of place he'll be in that cast. He's not the leading man type, and this is just really weird lead casting.

Variety is also states that Margot Robbie is indeed looking to play Harley Quinn. They also mention that Tom Hardy is looking to be placed in the Rick Flag role. Not Harkness, which I assume he was since the actor is known for stellar accents. Instead Will Smith is apparently wanted for Harkness. This is sort of bizarre to me since Captain Boomerang is established as an Aussie villain. Smith isn't known for his accents, and hiring Aussie actor Jai Courtney for that role seems like a better move on the part of DC. I'm kind of hoping Variety got these male roles mixed-up, because this sounds ridiculous to me. Placing Will Smith and Tom Hardy in supporting roles seems fishy to me, those two are stronger leads than Courtney.

Jesse Eisenberg is said to be in talks to reprise the role of Lex Luthor in the film. Jared Leto could be our next Joker, and might be an excellent way to introduce the manic villain to this new DCU. David Ayer is directing with a release date set for August 2016, months after Batman v Superman drops. Production is expected to begin sooner than expected.

UPDATE: Deadline is now reporting that Courtney might be cast in another DC movie, which isn't Suicide Squad. There are plenty of films in the works including Wonder Woman, Shazam!, Aquaman, Justice League and The Flash coming-up next.

SOURCE: VARIETY

RUMOR: Margot Robbie Locked-In For Harley Quinn Role In SUICIDE SQAUD?

Collider is stating that Aussie actress Margot Robbie (Tarzan, Wolf of Wall Street) is a lock for Suicide Squad and is indeed playing Harley Quinn in the film. This is the first time a site is actually trying to confirm that the role is indeed Quinn. Actors Jesse Eisenberg (Lex Luthor), Jared Leto (Joker), Will Smith (Deadshot) and Tom Hardy (Harkin) are also in the mix for the film. David Ayer is set to direct with the film set for a August 2016 release date.

While Collider does have a great record of scoops with their wonderful on-the-record interviews. Their "sourced" scoops are touch-and-go. Frosty (face of the site) took to Twitter to proclaim Joaquin Phoenix as confirmed for Doctor Strange. Only moments after this his peers corrected him with their own information, revealing Phoenix was getting cold feet. This turned-out to be true and he exited talks, with Benedict Cumberbatch currently the frontrunner for the role. Giving the impression that they've been going forward on old information, or just rumblings that happen to be circling bloggers' channels. Something that happens regularly with all sites.

The film is likely going to start-up production in the coming months, so locking-down a cast now seems right on schedule. However, Robbie has been in the mix for a bunch of high-profile projects only to exit at the last minute. Examples of this include Ghost In The Shell and Fantastic Four, it's a good role for her. However, Warner Bros' Tarzan might have filled the genre quota for her at the moment. I'm going to wait for better confirmation from other sites and sources. She's also expected to take a co-starring role in Tina Fey's The Taliban Shuffle.

Then again, I would be fine with this casting. As we now know that WB is looking to place Joker in the film, having Robbie play the fast-talking Joker sidekick is actually perfect. It doesn't hurt that she is apparently dating Jared Leto (rumored frontrunner for Joker role).

SOURCE: COLLIDER

Jared Leto Circling Joker Role In SUICIDE SQUAD

THR reports that Oscar winner Jared Leto (Fight Club, Requiem For A Dream, Lord of War, Dallas Buyers Club) is circling the role of The Joker in David Ayer's Suicide Squad. It's more likely that Joker would be the actual threat of the film, rather than a member of the team. The Joker was previously used as the real villain in the recent animated film from Warner Bros, which had the Suicide Squad as the focus. A lot of people have been curious when or if we would see the return of The Joker in Zack Snyder's DC universe.

Leto had been linked for being in the running for Doctor Strange, so he's obviously looking for a high-profile project to get involved with. After Heath Ledger's casting, I can't really say I'm against Jared as the iconic Batman villain. Since it all comes down to the on screen performance and we haven't seen Jared play the role to actually judge him.

The Joker's inclusion could also possibly mean Batman might have a cameo, or at the very least referenced through-out the film. It's hard to believe that if the Joker is running-around, we won't see Ben Affleck's Batman show-up for a scene, to give him a good ass-kicking.


We've sort of assumed that there would be a Joker reference in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Considering that Suicide Squad is shooting post-production of Batman v Superman, they could shoot a couple of Joker scenes for that film as well. It's expected that Snyder will spend some of of 2015 editing and completing pick-ups and reshoots. Placing Joker scenes into the mix wouldn't be entirely shocking. The villain has a role within the Frank Miller comics, which the film is inspired by. Waiting till the end of the production or during reshoots to film those scenes, might be a way to keep fan down expectations of his appearance.

The image above was posted on Twitter by cinematographer Larry Fong. This picture sort of teases an intense fight between Batman and The Joker that happens in the Miller comic. Fong actually got in a lot of hot water for it. Leading a lot of fans (including us) to speculate the Joker was on his way. While it's unknown if he'll be apart of Batman v Superman, it's looking like a sure thing he's going to be apart of Suicide Squad.

There is already talk that Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor is very likely involved in the project. I assume he very well could be paying for the whole organization, or could even take the place of Amanda Waller (more likely her boss). A character that might have been ruined because of showing-up in Green Lantern. While Will Smith, Tom Hardy and Margot Robbie are in the mix for leads as well.

SOURCE: THR

Cara Delevingne Eyed For SUICIDE SQUAD Role?

LatinoReview is hearing another actress being linked for a role in David Ayer's Suicide Squad. British actress Cara Delevingne is being eyed for the film. The newcomer is best known for smaller roles in films like Joe Wright's Anna Karenina and Pan, the latter is another Warner Bros. picture. Apparently, Disney is interested in her for Pirates of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. Her next couple of films will see her working with Johnny Depp in London Fields and Kate Beckinsale in the thriller The Face of An Angel.

Her part in the film isn't being revealed, but there is some speculation with some rewrites it could be Harley Quinn.

Previously, Aussie actress Margot Robbie had been wanted for a female lead in the film. Robbie is known for being in the mix and quickly getting out of it. Margot had been in the running for leads in Fox's Fantastic Four and Dreamworks' Ghost In The Shell, but didn't land the roles. It might be a similar case with Suicide Squad, as other projects could peek her interest and drag her away. S

She seems like a great fit for the project working with Warner Bros. on Wolf of Wall Street, Focus and the Tarzan remake. Working with Will Smith in Focus was our nod this could be a reason the studio wanted to re-team the two actors. Smith's role isn't being revealed, but it's a strong possibility it's Deadshot. The self-appointed leader of the villain team. Tom Hardy is also in the mix, I assume for the role of weapons expert Harkness (Captain Boomerang). There is word via Deadline that Jesse Eisenberg's Lex Luthor could also factor into the film.

SOURCE: LATINOREVIEW 

SPECULATION: Could Tom Hardy Be Wanted For A Different Role In X-MEN APOCALYPSE?

Hidden in the recent Doctor Strange casting report by TheWrap. Jeff mentions that while Tom Hardy was in the mix to play Strange, he's considering parts in both Suicide Squad and X-Men Apocalypse. It sounds good for Suicide Squad since Hardy's strong working relationship with Warner Bros. Making big blockbuster movies for the studio such as Mad Max Fury Road, Dark Knight Returns and Inception.

It seems that Tom might be looked at for a villain role in the film. The ancient Egyptian mutant villain Apocalypse is the first thought everyone has had, and Jeff hints that's who the role is. While it could be great to see Hardy play another iconic comic book villain, there are other mutants he could be playing.

In my opinion he is better suited for Nathan Summers better known as Cable. Since we've already seen Bishop time-travel it wouldn't be hard to imagine seeing another time-traveller join the franchise. In the comics mutant engineer Forge builds a time-machine (no need for Kitty Pryde's powers) and Bishop is sent back to prevent an assassination. Instead of preventing an assassination, Bishop get's confused and attempts to assassinate Charles Xavier.

We have already been teased this altered timeline might give us an even worse future for mutant and humankind. Could they be hinting to an alternate future timeline of Age of Apocalypse which included Cable travelling back in time? I wouldn't be surprised if Bryan Singer and Simon Kinberg decide to use this element, but switch-out Bishop for X-Force leader Cable. Making him a major villain of the film as well.

The studio is aiming to give Cable his own film and it's been somewhat confirmed that he'll be apart of the Jeff Wadlow (Kick-Ass 2) scripted X-Force film. Producer Lauren Shuler Donner has already mentioned a desire to give that character his own film in previous interviews. Lauren is pursuing Channing Tatum for the Gambit spin-off, trying to sign Hardy for a Cable/X-Force movie isn't hard to imagine.

Tom Hardy being interested in a role in Suicide Squad, might be echoing a villain-turned-hero take on Cable in Apocalypse. I could also see Hardy in the role after taking-on another hard-nosed apocalyptic character like Mad Max. Nothing says Hardy will choose either role, but it's great time for Hardy to be considering three major roles in massive comic book films.



Do you think Tom Hardy is wanted for Apocalypse or Cable?

SOURCE: THEWRAP

Jesse Eisenberg Might Reprise Lex Luthor Role In David Ayer's SUICIDE SQUAD

Deadline reports that Warner Bros. is talking with Jesse Eisenberg about reprising the role of Superman villain Lex Luthor in David Ayer's Suicide Squad. Jesse will introduce audiences to his take on Lex in 2016 with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Squad is about a group of rag-tag DC villains forced on suicide missions and will be the next DCU movie put into production. It's possible that Lex's role in the DCU will continue throughout the massive amount releases.

We've already heard that Will Smith, Tom Hardy and Margot Robbie are circling roles in the film. Usually, when it comes to DC casting we hear a very few names linked for roles. It's likely these will be our leads of the film. I'm under the assumption that Smith could be playing Deadshot, Hardy is wanted for Harkness and whatever the female lead ends-up is where Robbie fits in. Be that Harley Quinn or whatever female villain role they eventually announce she's playing. It will be coming to theatres only a few months after Batman v Superman in August 2016.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

Will Smith And Tom Hardy Close To Signing-On For David Ayer's SUICIDE SQUAD..UPDATE: Margot Robbie Too!

THR was first to report that Warner Bros. was looking at Ryan Gosling, Will Smith, Tom Hardy and Margot Robbie for roles in Suicide Squad. The DC Comics film will be next installment of the DCU after the release of Batman v Superman. Deadline is now saying that Smith and Hardy are very close to signing-on, while their roles aren't being named. The film's script is undergoing a couple of rewrites, but is expected to go into production very soon. It's release date is set for August 6th, 2016, which means it will likely shoot during the spring and summer of next year.

UPDATE: Deadline has updated their original story, by adding that Margot Robbie is also close to signing-on. Robbie was attached to lead Ghost In The Shell, but Dreamworks has gone with another actress. She recently worked with Smith on the con-artist movie Focus. I'm curious if Will Smith might end-up taking the Deadshot part, while Hardy taking the roguish role of Harkness. 





SOURCE: DEADLINE

Ryan Gosling, Tom Hardy, WIll Smith & Margot Robbie Wanted For David Ayer's SUICIDE SQUAD?

Warner Bros. made a huge announcement today revealing their plans for the DC cinematic universe. Confirming that Suicide Squad will being released on August 6th, 2016 with David Ayer (Fury, End of Watch) directing. Having of a group of nasty criminals unwillingly taking the role of heroes.

THR is reporting that the studio is in early casting mode. Eyeing actors such as Ryan Gosling (Drive), Tom Hardy (Locke, Mad Max Fury Road, Inception), Will Smith and Margot Robbie (Tarzan, Ghost In The Shell, Wolf Of Wall Street). Gosling was once attached to star in WB's Logan's Run remake and wanted a small role in Wonder Woman when Nicholas Winding Refn was considering directing the film. Hardy might have played Bane, but since this is a new Batman universe his take on the villain never existed. I actually could see him playing Harkness in the film. Margot was in the mix to play Sue Storm in Fox's Fantastic Four reboot and could make for excellent addition to any franchise. Will Smith seems like the hardest-get here. However, after turning down iconic roles in films like Matrix and Django Unchained, a couple of box office bombs and being pushed-out of the I Am Legend sequel. Smith might be a bit more willing to consider a DC role.

SOURCE: THR

RUMOR! ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK Lead Down To Charlie Hunnam, Dan Stevens & Jon Bernthal?

One of the John Carpenter's most celebrated cult-film Escape From New York is getting a remake from producer Joel Silver. The dystopian sci-fi action flick follows a fallen hero who has become the most famous outlaw in a crumbling fascist America, where entire cities are setup as guard-less prisons. Propaganda and the police-state rule the country, with most freedoms becoming outlawed. Snake is forced into saving the day on suicide-missions, usually with threat of death/execution.

Starlog reports that the three new names being in the mix for Snake include  Charlie Hunnam, Dan Stevens (The Guest, Downton Abbey) and Jon Bernthal (Wolf of Wall Street, Walking Dead, Fury). Stating that Hunnam is the top-choice for the role, but cautious considering his recent involvement in top-lining Guy Ritchie's Knights of The Roundtable: King Arthur, taking the Arthur role.

Out of the three names, the one that stands-out as solid potential lead is Dan Stevens. The trailer for his well received action thriller The Guest, has gotten my attention and I expect big things for the British actor. If he decides to pursue a career in action film. I also have nominated Stevens to play Daniel Rand in Marvel's Netflix series Iron Fist. Here's hoping he lands the Plissken role first.



There has been talk the reboot will actually be a slight prequel to the events of the original movie, exploring a bit of the origins of Snake in the first film, what gave him his hero status. Before being thrown into the meat-grinder of the prison city of New York. The site mentions that it's going to be more of a team-based film than we've know the films to be. Claiming that actors being looked-at for the lead, will likely take supporting parts in the reboot. Which is said to be the first in a new trilogy (that's if this even get's made, and is even welcomed by audiences).

Producer Joel Silver talked to Collider and revealed a majority of these details back in February. Silver also confirmed they didn't have a completed script, we haven't heard names of who is actually writing or directing the film (directors have come and gone). Starlog states the studio is also looking for investment partners and will be shopping the film at The American Film Market. This could mean the remake will be made outside of the studio system, which tends to lead to more interesting films. Dredd being an excellent example of a solid indie remake.

“There was a videogame that came out a few years ago called 'Arkham City,' which shows how Gotham became this kind of walled prison and how it became a walled prison. And they never deal with that in the story of 'Escape from New York,' so part of our idea was to kind of see how the city became this walled prison and how the Snake Plissken character was a hero and how he became not looked at as a hero. And then, in the middle of the story, would be the movie that we, you know, previously saw about the President’s daughter goes down, he has to go in and get her. And then, you know, they did a sequel, 'Escape from L.A.,' but I would like to then kind of find a way to have New York go back to a place that we’d like to see what it is today.”

These aren't the first names to be linked for the Snake Plissken role, during the reboot's many years of development. Names such as Gerard Bulter, Jason Statham, Tom Hardy and Timothy Olyphant (Justified, Dead Wood) have been mentioned in trade reports concerning the recasting the Snake role. It's unknown if any of these past candidates would be willing to appear in the film.

SOURCE: STARLOG

Stephen Strange Already Established As Sorcerer Supreme In Marvel's DOCTOR STRANGE?

A few comic book movie tropes are starting to fade-away, cheesy one-liners, horrible costumes and poorly done special effects. When it comes to revealing new heroes, we tend to see the classic "origin story" used. The main hero is normal (usually the first act or 20-30s of the film), but undergoes a massive transformation that finally gives us the hero in-action.

Marvel has been known to overlook this recent origin trope, by using exposition and flashbacks. We first saw this with the interesting flashbacks used in the opening sequence for The Incredible Hulk. Instead of rehashing Bruce Banner's origin in the reboot, we see him already on-the-run and hiding-out in Brazil. We kind of also saw this with Thor, as the god of thunder had previous adventures and is already wielding mjolnir. Again, this was done extremely well with Guardians as the trouble-makers were are already causing problems in the galaxy, just not as a group. Leaving a little mystery to the origins of our characters isn't always a bad thing, either.

According to Devin of BadassDigest, Marvel is finished with origin stories. This will likely effect Ant-Man as well, which will have the established hero (Pym) played by Michael Douglas hand-over the mantle to Scott Lang (Paul Rudd). A great way to skip a bulk of the movie just setting-up sequels (where we see the hero in full-form) and the final action piece.

He goes on to mention that we'll see Stephen Strange already the Sorcerer Supreme in Doctor Strange and that we won't have to spend a large portion of the film without him playing the hero. Along with screenwriter Jon Spaihts' (Prometheus) extensive page-one rewrite of the entire script. Meaning, that the original draft that was circling a while back, is getting completely scrapped from the project.

We still haven't had Marvel announce who will actually play our Stephen Strange. The actors who are reportedly in the mix include Benedict Cumberbatch (seemingly out of the running because of a play in London), Tom Hardy (Mad Max Fury Road, Dark Knight Rises, Inception, Bronson, Warrior, The Drop), Oscar winner Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club, Fight Club, Lord of War, Requiem For A Dream, American Psycho) and more recently three-time Oscar nominated actor Joaquin Phoenix (Gladiator, Her, The Immigrant, The Master, Inherent Vice, Walk The Line). I'm personally rooting for Hardy and Phoenix to get the role, since they have an extremely strong body of work.

The production start of Doctor Strange will begin in Spring 2015, with a release date of July 8th, 2016. Casting announcements are bound to begin very soon, as pre-production starts ramping-up.


SOURCE: BADASSDIGEST

RUMOR: Joaquin Phoenix Also In The Mix For Marvel's DOCTOR STRANGE

TheWrap reports another big name in the running for the role of Stephen Strange in Marvel's next franchise Doctor Strange. Three-time Oscar nominee Joaquin Phoenix (Gladiator, Her, The Immigrant, Walk The Line, is being linked for talks. You might remember Phoenix was linked for the role of Bruce Banner, just before Comic-Con 2011. Only, to have Mark Ruffalo announced as the new Banner on stage with his Avengers co-stars. This could be a giant misdirection, or we might actually see Joaquin join the MCU. Other actors linked for the role recently included Jared Leto, Tom Hardy and fan-favorite Benedict Cumberbatch. The latter has stated his engagement for Hamlet on the London stage, might be a giant conflict.

Jeff also believes that Benedict Cumberbatch and Tom Hardy won't be taking the gig. This sort of makes sense, since the pair are extremely busy with a steady stream of other fruitful projects. Nothing says they can't take other roles though, or even villainous ones down the line.

Last we heard, before the script rewrites from Jon Spaihts (Prometheus), villains Baron Mordo and Dormammu would be featured in the film. Considering Dormmannu will likely be another CGI motion capture hybrid character, either Hardy or Cumberbatch could end-up voicing the flame-headed baddie during the film's post-production process.

It's expected that Marvel will announce more information concerning Doctor Strange at Comic-Con, including it's release date and possibly it's lead actor as well. Since it's expected to begin shooting next spring, most likely in the UK.

SOURCE: THEWRAP

DOCTOR STRANGE Starts Filming Next Spring And Releasing July 2016?

TotalFilm was to speak with Marvel's Kevin Feige about the upcoming production of Doctor Strange. Firstly, Kevin confirmed that Scott Derrickson (Sinister, Deliver Us From Evil) is indeed directing the film and revealed casting will be underway in the next month or two. An actor will be announced soon, we've been expecting said lead to be unveiled during Comic-Con. We've been hearing names like Benedict Cumberbatch, Jared Leto and Tom Hardy linked for the role.

"Scott Derrickson has been announced as the director. Doctor Strange is a character that I've been interested in for many, many years and that I've talked about in interviews for probably 14 years, because I believe it's very, very important for us to explore every nook and cranny of the comic-book universe and we've done the street-level heroes, and we've done the billionaire superheroes [on Earth]. We've now done the cosmic side with Thor and Avengers and most obviously with Guardians, but there's a whole other side of the Marvel comics, which is that supernatural side - the interdimensional side of the Marvel universe, and Doctor Strange is, I believe, our entry point into that other realm, which has dozens of characters and storylines all of its own.

So Strange is very, very important, not just because it's an amazing character study, and a journey of a man who's gone from this very arrogant surgeon to somebody who is quite zen and literally keeps all of reality together on a daily basis, but it also is going to open up a whole other side of storytelling for our movies. So we're about to hire a writer to redo a draft, and we think we'll be casting probably in the next month or two, and announcing an actor, and then we get into production in the spring of next year."


Feige also went on to confirm that production is set to begin in the spring of next year, I assume this will happen when Captain America 3 wraps. The assumption is that Strange will take the second 2016 spot on July 8th. Other sources say that the release date could be set later in the year. Currently, Jon Spaihts (Prometheus, Black Hole) is doing rewrites to the original script.

SOURCE: TOTALFILM

PROMETHEUS And BLACK HOLE Screenwriter Jon Spaihts Could Rewrite DOCTOR STRANGE Script

Deadline is reporting that Prometheus screenwriter Jon Spaihts is in talks to write Marvel's Doctor Strange, which will be directed by Scott Derrickson (The Day The Earth Stood Still, Sinister, Deliver Us From Evil). Jon was recently tasked to write Disney's Black Hole remake and Universal's Mummy reboot. I have to assume that Disney is very happy with his work on Black Hole and was suggested to Marvel. Jon and Scott are a perfect match as both have a horror background, a strong element of the world of Strange.

Jon confirmed the news himself via his Twitter account.

Doctor Strange was always my favorite Marvel hero. It's a good day. http://t.co/1hInjPWnbQ
— Jon Spaihts (@jonspaihts) June 18, 2014

The words rewrite aren't mentioned as the original script was penned by Thomas Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer, the pair are best known for writing the Conan The Barbarian reboot. I doubt it will be a page-one rewrite, but I'm sure they're hiring Jon to overhaul the entire thing. When I first heard Marvel's requirements for directors from my source, they specifically mentioned writer-directors for Strange. The studio wanted extensive rewrites, mainly because of industry leaks and the early script review from LatinoReview.

Casting is still going-on, as recent names such as Jared Leto, Benedict Cumberbatch and Tom Hardy have been mentioned for being on Marvel's radar/lists.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

Marvel Wants Benedict Cumberbatch And Tom Hardy For DOCTOR STRANGE

It was recently confirmed that Scott Derrickson (Sinister) would be directing Doctor Strange for Marvel. While the casting was currently a bit of mystery on it's own. The likes of Johnny Depp, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jon Hamm, and Jared Leto were rumored to be in the mix or at least considered. New names are being added that group, and one being a major fan favorite.

According to Deadline, Marvel has others also in mind for the casting of Doctor Strange. They report that Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock, Hobbit, Star Trek Into Darkness, War Horse, ) and Tom Hardy (Inception, Dark Knight Rises, Bronson) could take roles in the film, and are on a studio casting wish-list. It's unknown if both are wanted for the same role, or are being paired together for the feature. Ben and Tom have a bit of a history together, working in television and even on film projects like Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.

Benedict Cumberbatch has been a fan favorite for the role of Stephen Strange for years now, and there was even rumors he had previously met with Marvel about a role. While he's on a "list" nothing is too solid, but it does sound like he turned down a Star Wars role for something bigger.

Unlike Cumberbatch, Hardy has a lot more on his plate. He's already signed-up for the lead in Dough Liman's Splinter Cell movie and could have another franchise on his hands with Mad Max: Fury Road coming out next summer. I think it's less likely we'll see Hardy chosen, but the actor is a workaholic and loves taking-on genre work.

I also wouldn't be shocked if Marvel is looking to pair the two together in the film, casting one as the villain and the other Stephen Strange. It's hard to say which one could be the hero/villain, as they have plenty experience playing both kinds of characters.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

Tom Hardy And Kathryn Bigelow Team-Up For THE TRUE AMERICAN

Cannes 2014 has begun, and the new movie projects have started rolling-out. The most impressive news comes from high-end studio Annapurna Pictures, who has announced The True American. A thriller based on a true story and has Tom Hardy (Locke, Bronson, Warrior, Drop ) attached to star. Not to mention Oscar winner Kathryn Bigelow (Zero Dark Thirty, Hurt Locker) set to direct. Here's the full press release via ThePlaylist. The project sounds like another knockout, but a writer isn't named. We shouldn't be surprised if Kathryn's collaborator Mark Boal ends-up penning the script.

Annapurna’s Megan Ellison, who previously worked with Bigelow as a producer on ZERO DARK THIRTY, is set to produce. Annapurna’s Matthew Budman, who co-produced ZERO DARK THIRTY, will serve as Executive Producer.

THE TRUE AMERICAN meticulously reconstructs two lives that collided in horrific fashion. In the charged, angry days after 9/11, self-styled “American Terrorist” Mark Stroman murdered two immigrants in Texas, while a third man survived being shot in the head during Stroman’s spree: Raisuddin Bhuiyan, a Bangladesh Air Force veteran, was working at a Dallas-area convenience store as he established himself in America.

With Stroman identified and apprehended, the tale begins its tack toward deeper emotional waters. THE TRUE AMERICAN is a richly detailed, affecting account of two men bound, as it turns out, by more than just an act of violence.

The deal was brokered by Annapurna’s Paul Hanson and Christopher Corabi with CAA, which represents Rais Uddin Bhuiyan and Anand Giridharadas, as well as Bigelow and Hardy. Anand is represented for publishing by Katherine Flynn at Kneerim Williams and Bloom. Bigelow’s attorney is Warren Dern of Sloane Offer Weber & Dern; Hardy is represented by Lindy King at United Agents in the U.K. and attorney Jason Sloane of Sloane Offer Weber & Dern.