For some reason, I just don’t see Phoenix in the role. I’ve always imagined someone much taller. There was a rumor making the rounds that they were talking to Jack Huston (Harrow from Boardwalk Empire) and that struck me as the better choice. But it turns out they were just rumors.
I read an article on this and it seems that the main sticking point is Phoenix not wanting to be locked in to a multi movie contract. Marvel has some good options if Phoenix decides against the deal and Marvel is basically letting him know that they are out of time in regards to casting the role of Dr Strange. Either way, I figure they will have it cast soon. I would like to see him take the role and I think he would be great in it but if he doesnt go for it, I have faith that Marvel will get someone good and make it work. They have a pretty good track record right now.
So word is that Benedict Cumberbatch has been selected to play Dr. Strange.
Good choice, of course, but maybe kinda’ on the nose?
I think Benedict Cumberbatch is just positioning himself to be the world’s most coveted sci-fi/fantasy convention guest by the time he’s 70. He’ll be signing photos of Smaug, Khan, Doc Strange, and Sherlock Holmes, twenty bucks a pop.
I’m good with that, Phoenix would have been more perfect looks-wise, but Cumberbatch is a damn good actor and he’s probably one of the few actors who could pull off a “By the Hoary Hosts of Hoggoth!” with some gravitas :)
They still have to nail down Cumberbatch. It’s not a done deal.
negotiations are about to begin
Just don’t make him English. Cumberbatch can do a perfect American accent, so I see no reason to alter the character in that way, though.
As long as he doesn’t have to say ‘penguins’!
Edit: Probably should have linked the video just in case… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GnLDJAgrws
Speaking of Cumberbatch, I really enjoyed this video of a motion capture session with him doing Smaug. I love the facial expressions. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laPb8cYSebY
Hell, it might have been better to have Bilbo being menaced by the giant head of Cumberbatch.
I still chuckle with Sherlock being a menacing dragon over Watson’s hobbit
ROFLMAO, reminds me of how some people say “nucular” :)
I find myself sometimes saying it wrong, though most of the time correct. Seems odd that my brain can allow the same word different pronounciations. (sic)
Honestly, after how he’s doing on his current TV role, I was hoping for Peter Capaldi…
Way too old.
I’m really curious about how they are going to do this. Magic can be awfully hard to make understandable and entertaining versus just a light show.
Is the guy who was lo Pan in Big Trouble and Little China still working/living? He’d make a pretty good Ancient One. The last time I remember seeing him was in 5th Element.
James Hong is still alive and working.
INDEED!
I’m curious about this question - are you referring to how he’s “too perfect” for the role, then? Is he? Is that bad, if so? Wasn’t Robert Downey Jr. a little “on the nose”? I’m honestly just curious, no offense intended.
Benedict Cumberbatch is all over popular sci-fi/fantasy/whatever Sherlock is. Star Trek, The Hobbit, Sherlock, he’s got a huge profile and could basically retire now and live on nerdy convention appearances. He’s also in all sorts of other stuff, he’s not limiting himself to genre fare, and he’s—in my opinion at least—a fun, talented actor. But he definitely has huge sci-fi visibility that’s nothing like where Robert Downey Jr. was when he signed on for Iron Man.
When Downey was cast, the reaction (at least among the optimistic) was “of course, he’d be perfect, why didn’t I think of that?” The alleged negotiations with Joaquin Phoenix seemed like the same kind of brilliant but only-obvious-in-retrospect choice. So in that sense Cumberbatch seems like the “safe” backup plan.
Ah, I see. Well, I think “On the nose” or not it’s going to be great fun to watch him play Strange, assuming he gets cast. I don’t really follow that character over much, though I have enjoyed several Strange stories over the years.