#BenedictCumberbatch To Play #DoctorStrange?

So, just a few days ago, Jared Leto was rumored to be the front-runner for Marvel’s upcoming phase 3 movie Doctor Strange.  But now, two new names have been released as the frontrunners:  Tom Hardy, and Sherlock himself, Benedict Cumberbatch.

There are reports tonight that Peyton Reed and David Wain are being considered for Ant-Man, but man, we are progressing down the comedy director food chain, and this is starting to feel stale. So how about Doctor Strange? Marvel is putting together its cast list, and I’m hearing that Tom Hardy and Benedict Cumberbatch are on it. While Marvel has teased this property with mentions in films including Captain America: The Winter Soldier, the film solidified and felt urgent when Scott Derrickson tweeted this week that he will direct the script by Thomas Dean Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer.

Marvel loves announcing and leaking their stuff on Fridays, don’t they? Two weeks ago, they sent the industry in a tizzy when they announced that Ant-Man was director-less. Now, not only have they leaked two more potential Ant-Man helmers, but they’re also spreading word around the industry that the title role in Doctor Strange is up for grabs. And while it’s probably a big list, it turns out two names sought for the role include Tom Hardy and Benedict Cumberbatch.

Marvel likely sees Doctor Strange as a key piece in their post-Avengers: Age Of Ultron Phase Three plans (particularly with no Iron Man 4 on the horizon), so there’s a lot of pressure on the fantasy film to be a major player as far as box office and, in the vitriolic wake of the Ant-Man debacle, positive geek buzz.

Though Tom Hardy is a great actor, I just can’t see him as Doctor Strange.  He’s far too… macho, I think is the word I’m looking for.  Yes, he’s one of those actors who can transform himself to fit a role, but frankly, I think he’d be better suited to a different Marvel Superhero.  That said, I think the notion of Benedict Cumberbatch playing the Sorcerer Supreme is inspired!  Seriously, my pick was Liam Neeson, but now that Cumberbatch’s name has been floated, he just seems so… perfect for the role!

The only downside is that Cumberbatch’s star is on the rise, so he is heavily in-demand, something that should only continue when people get a look at him in the upcoming Imitation Game, a potential Oscar contender. He rose to prominence as a fixture in critically-acclaimed work like 12 Years A Slave and August Osage County, but really hit it big when he headlined BBC’s amazing modern-day adaptation of Sherlock Holmes in Sherlock. And as if that show weren’t enough for his geek-resume, he also went on to play Kahn in Star Trek Into Darkness. And no offense to Hardy, who would be great simply because he’s a chameleon, but Cumberbatch is a bit more classically regal and would bring a haughty charm to Doctor Strange.  (And who wouldn’t want to see Cumberbatch and Downey on-screen together at some point?)

The only thing I can think of that could keep this from happening is that Cumberbatch is insanely busy.  He’s attached to co-star in Johnny Depp’s Black Mass as well as action movie Blood Mountain and The Lost City Of Z. Oh, and then there’s that pesky fourth season of Sherlock to consider.  Both Cumberbatch and Hardy would be sharp picks by Marvel a year ago, when these actors didn’t have so many balls in the air. At this point, they’d better hope they have a long wishlist, because outside of cloning, it’ll be very difficult to secure the services of either Hardy or Cumberbatch for this role.

What do you think?  Which would you like to see play Doctor Strange – Tom Hardy, or Benedict Cumberbatch?  And if not either of them, then who?  (Liam Neeson.)

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