Having threatened to do so since at least the ‘70s, Marvel is actually going to make a Doctor Strange movie. We had heard mystical rumblings back in 2010 that Marvel and Disney wanted to add the Sorcerer Supreme to the their then-burgeoning roster of superhero movies, but nothing came of it. Then, last year, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige said he “definitely” wanted to make a Doctor Strange movie, which pretty much confirmed that one was in the works, but Marvel didn’t make any official announcements. Until now, that is.
Yes, after all that teasing, Variety has revealed that not only is Marvel finally moving forward with a Doctor Strange movie, but that it has already hired Sinister’s Scott Derrickson to direct. A horror director who has shown some flair for particularly spooky imagery, Derrickson seems like a smart choice for Strange, since the character’s initial appearances basically defined Marvel’s psychedelic streak in the ‘60s.
For those who aren’t familiar with the character, Doctor Strange was an asshole-ish neurosurgeon who injured his hands in an accident and turned to magic in order to try and heal himself. From there, he became a magician with a ridiculous cape who used his newfound powers to protect the world from demons and various cosmic threats. It’s not exactly a simple origin, but did we mention that he was created in the ‘60s? Stuff was pretty weird in the ‘60s for some reason.
Anyway, now that we know Marvel is making a Doctor Strange movie, we can move on to the most fun part of all superhero news: casting rumors. We know Patrick Dempsey probably won’t be playing Strange, and we can also rule out every other actor who has appeared in a Marvel movie (as well as everyone from Batman v. Superman), which doesn’t leave us with too many options. Maybe Edgar Wright can play him. His schedule just opened up, after all.