[dropcap size=small]A[/dropcap]nd the search for Doctor Strange continues.
Months of negotiations between Marvel Studios and Academy Award-nominated actor Joaquin Phoenix ultimately came to a close when the two sides could not finalize a deal. When news originally broke that Phoenix was being considered for the role, many found it, for a lack of a better word, strange.
Phoenix usually shies away from big-budget blockbusters and in recent years has gravitated towards films like Spike Jonze’s Her and Paul Thomas Anderson’s The Master. Both films garnered him Golden Globe nominations for Best Actor (which he had previously won in 2005 for his portrayal of Johnny Cash in Walk the Line), with the latter earning him an Oscar nod in the same category.
It’s no surprise that Phoenix did not sign on because contracts with Marvel tend to be multi-picture deals, which would increase his commitment to the comic book giant and limit his flexibility for pursuing other projects. So who else is in consideration?
Deadline says not to believe reports that Ethan Hawke has signed on, as it is merely “speculation run wild,” but that does not rule him out completely. Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hardy, and Jared Leto were all rumored to be up for the role before Phoenix was deemed the frontrunner, so now we play the waiting game.
Who do you want to see play the Sorcerer Supreme? Let us know!
Doctor Strange will be released in theaters July 8, 2016.
