Doctor Strange has long-been on Marvel Studios’ medium burner, with screenwriters hired as early as 2010, though Kevin Feige only confirmed plans for the character’s inclusion in Phase 3 last year. Is now, in the wake of the goodwill of the Guardians of the Galaxy trailer, finally the time to make some progress on the film?
According to The Hollywood Reporter, there are a few directors being looked at for the film and true to Marvel Studios’ form, none of them are exactly people who’d jump out as immediate candidates. If this list is right, the Sorcerer Supreme could be brought to theatres by Jonathan Levine (50/50, Warm Bodies), Mark Andrews (co-director of Brave), Nikolaj Arcel (director of the foreign film A Royal Affair and writer of the Swedish version of Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) or Dean Israelite (the upcoming Welcome to Yesterday).
THR goes on to say that Marvel is eyeing up Kung Fu Panda writers Jon Aibel and Glenn Berger for possible script-duties. This choice is something, initial reactions notwithstanding, that’s a bit less odd. It’s not like the pair don’t have experience writing a lazy, self-obsessed jerk who needs to go through some mystical martial arts training, or anything.
And, of course, with new developments come new casting possibilities. With the Johnny Depp rumor always really having just been a wish (him being tied up filming unnecessary Pirates of the Caribbean and Alice in Wonderland sequels and all), it’s time to look other places. Bleeding Cool is saying Mads Mikkelsen (Hannibal, Casino Royale) “is, or has been, somewhere in the mix,” or at least that’s the case “according to one pretty solid Marvel-adjacent source.”
Expect a lot of this for a while, everybody. It’s going to (continue to) be a long road to the screen