With the exception of Thor, Marvel in-house productions have dealt with comic book characters rooted in the sci-fi, not fantasy, genre. However, now that the studio is reportedly moving ahead with a Dr. Strange movie, it is going to become near impossible to avoid introducing overt supernatural elements into the Marvel movie universe.
The magically-empowered Stephen Strange is not one of the more mainstream characters in the Marvel catalogue. Even so, it now appears that he could be one of the first non-Avengers characters to make the jump to the big screen.
Screenwriting duo Thomas Dean Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer (the upcoming Conan the Barbarian rebooot) were reportedly hired last year to draft a script for the Dr. Strange movie. The project will be live-action and not a computer-animated film by Pixar, as was previously rumored.
According to Twitch, Donnelly and Oppenheimer have turned in their Dr. Strange script and Marvel is forwarding their draft to an undisclosed shortlist of directors “to try and sign someone up to ‘oversee continued development’” of the project.
Iron Man 3 and Thor 2 have already been scheduled for release in Summer 2013, so it seems unlikely that Dr. Strange will make the jump to the big screen before 2014 – perhaps, even around the same time that Edgar Wright’s Ant-Man movie finally arrives.
Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko co-created Dr. Strange back in 1963. The character began as a highly-respected and arrogant surgeon whose career came to an abrupt end after his hands were irreparably damaged in a car accident. He would eventually go on to become “Sorcerer Supreme” after saving the life of “The Ancient One” and subsequently being gifted with powerful magical abilities as a reward. In terms of appearance, Dr. Strange can be identified by his dark hair with graying temples, a thin mustache-goatee, and his trademark blue garbs, yellow gloves, and flowing red cloak. While self-appointed candidate Patrick Dempsey would actually be a decent fit for the character, someone like Liam Neeson admittedly bears a stronger physical resemblance.
A couple of the items glimpsed in Odin’s Vault in Thor do pave the way for an eventual movie based on the Dr. Strange comic, which has historically boasted some of the more surreal and bizarre imagery in the Marvel universe (Ditko’s illustrations have often been compared to the collective work of Salvador Dali). In the hands of a director with great visual prowess, a Dr. Strange movie could easily look unlike any other comic book adaptation out there.
While a Dr. Strange movie penned solely by Donnelly and Oppenheimer – whose resume includes Dylan Dog: Dead of Night, A Sound of Thunder, and Sahara – sounds less appetizing, it’s possible that several other writers will eventually be brought onboard to rework and polish off their draft before the day is out (case in point: some half a dozen different writers worked on Iron Man).
We’ll keep you posted on the status of the Dr. Strange movie as more information is released.
Source: Twitch
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Sadly, I fully expect the film to be a watered down, dumbed down pile of tripe with a predictable story.
I would really love to be proved wrong.
Will they ever credit their audiences with any intelligence?
Jim Caviezel would be perfect fit to play Dr. Strange!
This could be very cool! As long as they don’t insist on the hackneyed origin story and default black leather outfit. Give us mystery. Give us atmosphere. Give us their costumes pretty much as they were in Strange’s comics heyday. Dormammu (especially given how good the new Ghost Rider looks), the Mindless Ones and Clea should be on board for this. Keep the writers/directors for Ghost Rider (the first one) as well as Daredevil away from this one. The Hellboy: The Golden Army team would do well with Stephen Strange’s world. This might even work well as a period piece, similar to Captain America. Now if we could just get some talented writers/directors on Man-Thing (the 2004 film was DISMAL)! Meanwhile, keeping fingers crossed for a well-crafted Strange tale yielding big box office. Voldemort beware…
JHONNY DEPP AS DR STRANGE !!!!! NUFF SAID !!!!!
Johnny depp as dr strange nuff said !!!!
I could see Johnny drop as strange but the question is would he consider playing in a cbm?
Depp has good relations with Disney, pretty sure he can work as Dr. Strange, also, I’ve never seen him as a sorcerer before.
This would make a much better television show or miniseries, especially on HBO or Showtime.
I agree with this man! Strange would make a lovely series, not all the details snippedbour and crammed together into a two hour rundown. HBO should bebleaping at this opportunity, before mvie drctors spoil the good parts…
Dr. Strange is the Marvel hero I most want to see. It give Marvel blockbuster a real opportunity to delve deeply into metaphysics. I can’t wait to see that happen!
Dr. Strange is the Marvel hero I most want to see. It gives Marvel blockbuster a real opportunity to delve deeply (for the 1st time) into metaphysics. I can’t wait to see that happen!
For years, I felt that Iron Man and Dr. Strange could be visually stunning movies. They succeeded brilliantly with Iron Man, and the potential of Doc Strange has me very hopeful. That said, the writer needs to fact check a little…”it now appears that he could be one of the first non-Avengers characters to make the jump to the big screen.” Dr. Strange as been an Avenger for some time now. The New Avengers hid out in his house during the SH Civil War and its aftermath. Actually it’s gonna be hard to make a marvel movie that doesn’t have an avenger. Seems like everybody but Deadpool and Ghost Rider has been on th team at some point.
I’d like to see Adrien Brody as Doctor Strange, with Liam Neeson as the voice of Dormammu!
I have been keeping this to myself, but that was before I realized in was already in the works. I was wanting to write the screenplay or at least contribute but regardless, the actor who is perfect, and that NO ONE has mentioned, nor would “see coming” so to speak, Is Hugh Laurie, That’s right Dr. House transformed into Dr Strange. The TV series is completing now, and he must certainly have time to do it, he has big screen experience but is a quality actor who would easily make us forget who he is and focus on the actual story, while I am somewhat intrigued with Johnny Depp as well, I just think there is a little too much “Depp in the waters” lately, he’s been in tons of films lately, I believe Hugh Laurie would be A+. You’re Welcome Marvel, and I can be contacted through my Email if you would like to send me some royalty checks. Thanks! Rock on Marvel Fans………
i have always seen Eric Dane as Dr. Strange. i think he would be absolutely perfect.