Since being officially announced as the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Doctor Strange, Benedict Cumberbatch has been all alone on the cast list for the upcoming Scott Derrickson-directed solo film, but now it sounds like he may soon have a co-star. What's more, it's someone that the Sherlock star has already had the pleasure of working with.
Variety has gotten word that Marvel is now looking at Academy Award nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor to play a part in the the upcoming Doctor Strange movie. Apparently the negotiations are still very much in the early stages, and unfortunately it has not yet been revealed what role he might play in the movie.
As alluded to earlier, should Chiwetel Ejiofor join the Marvel movie it would mean a reunion with Benedict Cumberbatch, as the two previously had the chance to work together when they were both featured in Steve McQueen's Best Picture-winning 12 Years A Slave. That's not his only current tie to the world of Marvel moviemaking, however. Fans will be quick to note that Ejiofor is a veteran of the Joss Whedon experience, having played the villain in the Firefly movie Serenity. Given how key Whedon has been to the developments at Marvel over the last few years, it wouldn't be surprising at all if the writer/director had a voice in this potential casting.
If this rumor is true, then you can probably expect to hear quite a bit more about it in the coming days/weeks. Chiwetel Ejiofor's latest movie, the post-apocalyptic drama Z for Zachariah, is making its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival this weekend, and the star will very likely be doing a good amount of press for its promotion. Reporters are almost assuredly going to be all over him asking questions about his potential future with Marvel, so unless he decides to stay completely mute on the matter, you can probably expect that some more details are coming soon.
Based on a script by Jon Spaihts, Doctor Strange tells the story of Dr. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), a genius, arrogant surgeon who finds his life ruined when a car accident permanently damages his hands. He searches around the world for a cure, but it is while in the Himalayas that he meets the Ancient One and begins to study in the ways of magic and become a warrior in the fight against evil. Production is scheduled to start up in England in the next few months, which means that this news about Chiwetel Ejiofor is just the first of many casting stories that will soon start dropping. Look for the movie in theaters November 4, 2016, and head to the comments section below to speculate who you think Ejiofor may play.
