The Men Who Could Be Strange

There has been a lot of speculation lately since Marvel Studios began garnering interest for the Doctor Strange movie that they want to bring theatres in 2016. The only issue that they have right now is that they don’t have an actor to fill the mystical Cloak of Levitation.

Kevin Feige has told Total Film [about Doctor Strange]:

[blockquote]“I believe it’s very, very important to us to explore every nook and cranny of the comic universe. We’ve done the street level heroes, and we’ve done the billionaire superheroes. We’ve now done the cosmic side with Thor and Avengers and most obviously with Guardians of the Galaxy, but there’s a whole other side of the Marvel comics, which is that supernatural side, the one-dimensional side of the Marvel Universe. Doctor Strange is, I believe, our entry point into that other realm, which has dozens of characters and storylines all of its own.”[/blockquote]

This is all very telling that Doctor Strange is the linchpin to a whole new set of films. The main takeaway from that statement is that Strange is very important to Feige and the direction they are taking the films in Phase 3. We know that an announcement could be coming very soon with regards to who will be playing Stephen Strange. If we could make the casting call today however, these fine actors would be our choice to play the part of the mystic sorcerer.

Aiden Gillen

I know the biggest names popping up out there right now are those of Cumberbatch and Hardy, however, anyone who has seen an episode of Game of Thrones and has felt the power of Littlefinger as he crosses the screen knows that Aiden Gillen would be right at home calling on the power of the Eye of Agamotto. There are a few requirements to be able to take on the role if you think about it; Stephen Strange is a very arrogant surgeon who gains these incredible supernatural powers, and even after that he never really loses that arrogant, cocky attitude. Aiden Gillen exudes arrogance, and that very same attitude when he takes on the role of Littlefinger. Not only that, but Gillen easily looks the part with the goatee and hair streaked with white. Other than the look and attitude, Strange is a far more cerebral role than that of the other members of the Avengers, this is where an actor like Gillen could take it to another level. He’s a great fit to play the Sorcerer Supreme and the right look and attitude to easily slide right into the role.

Luke Evans

Strange (as previously mentioned), is described as egotistical, greedy, cold and callous and of course he is always known as being incredibly vain on top of all that. An actor who could bring that combination across on the big screen is Evans. Those who have seen the recent Fast 6, or The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug will notice that Evans has shown that he would be able to bring to the screen the same qualities that Strange is in the comics, but he would be able to bring a physical side to the role as well. Being that Strange is a master of several martial arts on top of his mystical powers, Evans could fill that physical bill. He could also easily bring an otherworldliness to the role, and would fit in well with the Avengers, once he reaches the point where he would be needed by them. One thing that he certainly has on Aiden Gillen is that he has some name recognition and has been in several successful films.

Matt Bomer

If they were looking to do an origin story on Doctor Strange and wanted a bit of a younger actor to take on the role of the Sorcerer Supreme, then you could look no further than Matt Bomer. Bomer could grow into the role; he is constantly rumoured for dozens of roles, and would fit the same style of casting that brought us Chris Pratt into the role of Star-Lord. The only drawback to Bomer is that to really become Strange is that an actor would need to emanate wisdom and an agelessness, which doesn’t seem to suit him at this time. Bomer would be much more suited to an ‘origin story’ film instead of an aged and much more wise Doctor Strange. Other than that qualm though, Bomer would be a prime choice for the good Doctor.

Orlando Bloom

Let’s face it; at the time that Robert Downey Jr. was cast as Iron Man, he wasn’t exactly at the peak of his career and wasn’t necessarily a box office draw, but then he put on the suit and he skyrocketed back into the limelight and is one of the hottest stars in Hollywood right now. If there’s one actor who could use that kind of Marvel buzz, it’s Orlando Bloom. He made several smash hits in the Lord of the Rings and Pirates of the Caribbean trilogies but hasn’t put anything out recently besides a small role as Legolas in The Hobbit. He can easily handle any physical requirements of the role, and can certainly looks the part. Bloom isn’t getting any younger and is in the same age range as Downey back when he took on the role of Tony Stark. Bloom and his accent could lend well to the otherworldliness of Stephen Strange, and realistically speaking, Bloom is a quality actor he just needs a part that puts him back on the map.

Benedict Cumberbatch

Cumberbatch feels like the frontrunner for this role at Marvel Studios and while Tom Hardy has also been rumoured for the role, one would have to think that Cumberbatch has the leg up on the competition. If you were to make a checklist of all the qualities you would look for in the man to play Doctor Strange, he would hit on all of them. Cumberbatch can fill out the physicality of the role to a tee, and has had some stunning on screen fights where he more than holds his own like his role in Star Trek Into Darkness. Cumberbatch is no stranger to drama either, so he would easily be able to handle the hardships that Strange goes through before becoming the Sorcerer Supreme. The one quality that Strange has in spades is intelligence; he is one of the smartest characters in the Marvel Universe and who better to take that on than Sherlock Holmes himself. Cumberbatch already plays the smartest man on television so why not one of the smartest men on the big screen?

We will likely see some kind of casting announcement happen from Marvel Studios within the next two months, and with New York Comic Con starting today, they may surprise us. Regardless, there is a lot of excitement surrounding this film, and whoever gets the part will be heavily scrutinized much like Ben Affleck was when he was given the role of Batman.

Who would you like to see in the Cloak of Levitation? Let us know in the comments!