Doctor Strange is now out in theaters, and while the visuals have been one of the most talked about aspects of the film, the cast comes a close second. Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange, Tilda Swinton as The Ancient One, and Chiwetel Ejiofor as Baron Mordo headline the cast of Marvel's fourteenth film in their cinematic universe. The supporting cast is just as impressive, with Mads Mikkelsen (Kaecilius), Benedict Wong (Wong), and Rachel McAdams (Christine Palmer) each playing crucial roles to the story.
One actress who was supposed to be among the supporting cast was Amy Landecker. She joined the cast nearly a year ago, just after principal photography began. However, when audiences are sitting in the theaters, Landecker will not be among the many faces they see.
Landecker was recently interviewed by A.V. Club for an upcoming feature and was asked about her role in the film, but she explained that her intended appearance was little more than a cameo, and to her knowledge she did not actually make it into the final cut of the movie:
"The way Marvel works is, you don’t get to read the script at all. And I did audition for this part, so I knew it was a doctor in a surgical kind of scene, and I knew it was with Benedict, and she flirts with him a little and it was kind of fun. And there was a take where they had me put a mask on. But I thought that was just to kind of see what I looked like in a mask. Which is one of those funny Hollywood things, as if it was going to change whether or not I got cast.
"I leave the audition, and I’m told that they want me for the part and it’s three weeks in England. So my assumption is there’s more to the part than what I had auditioned with, which is a very short scene. They don’t really give you any details. They’re really secretive. So I get to England, and I’m there a week—a few days before everybody else, because they were shooting in another country. They said they needed me there to take lessons in brain surgery and to do my hair and makeup test. But it turned out that, when I get there, I’m in a mask and scrubs and a surgical cap. The entire film. There will not be a moment in the film where I do not have the mask on my face. So I’m finding out… 'Okay, so my performance is my eyes. Okay. I’m humble. Okay, I’m still in a Marvel movie. It’s still really exciting.'"
With just this small scene in the film, Landecker asked to leave the shoot to attend the Transparent premiere at The White House. However, she did later find out why Marvel, and more specifically director Scott Derrickson, wanted her to be in the film.
"So it turned out that the director was a really big A Serious Man fan. And Michael Stuhlbarg was in that second scene. So, the whole thing was kind of a fun 'let’s get Michael Stuhlberg and Amy back together' in Doctor Strange. And then I got a call that I was edited out of the film. Now I guess may not be true if I’m still in the credits. I don’t know. I haven’t seen it yet."
Landecker's role could very well be a blink and you'll miss it cameo, but regardless it is easy to sympathize with the actress' mixed emotions towards the film. It is clear that Marvel and Derrickson had good/fun intentions with bringing her on board, but Landecker was unaware that her role would be so small. Upon her initial casting, fans were quick to theorize Landecker's role to potentially be playing Stephen Strange's disciple and love interest Clea. Since this did not happen and Landecker was potentially cut from the film, she could very well find her way back to the MCU in the future.
Source: A.V. Club
