Before Benedict Cumberbatch Was Cast, Joaquin Phoenix, Colin Farrell and Keanu Reeves Were Considered for the Iconic Marvel Role
The British actor, Benedict Cumberbatch rose to fame with his performance in the BBC detective series Sherlock. From being a proud recipient of multiple accolades to becoming a recognized face of the billion-dollar superhero franchise Marvel Cinematic Universe- the actor has come a long way within a short period of time.
It is next to impossible to imagine someone else in the shoes of the intelligent superhero Doctor Strange apart from Benedict Cumberbatch. However, multiple A-listers from Hollywood were considered for the character of the famed superhero.
Before Finalizing Benedict Cumberbatch, Prominent A-Listers Were Considered For Doctor Strange
Benedict Cumberbatch has been playing the character of Doctor Strange ever since its inception in 2016. Over the years it feels as if the English actor was born to play the phenomenal sorcerer. Not many people know that Benedict Cumberbatch was not the first choice for Doctor Strange.
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According to a report published by the media outlet The Wrap in 2014, Joaquin Phoenix was approached for the role by the studio. Due to some unknown reason, the role was turned down by the Joker star and filmmaker Scott Derrickson was looking for someone who could embody the character of Doctor Strange perfectly.
Amongst the frontrunners for the Marvel character were reputed names from the entertainment industry like Keanu Reeves, Colin Farrell, Oscar Issac, Jared Leto, and Benedict Cumberbatch. According to the report by The Wrap, Benedict Cumberbatch was one of the most favorite among the Marvel fans for the role of Stephen Strange.
However, his association with shows like The Hobbit, Sherlock, and Star Trek Into Darkness helped him bag the role despite being in a tough competition with a list of talented actors. He was introduced to the Marvel Cinematic Universe with the 2016 released project Doctor Strange. The standalone project went on to gross $677.8 million against a budget of $165–236.6 million.
Benedict Cumberbatch On Playing The Character Of Doctor Strange
During an exclusive interview with the famous media outlet Empire in 2016, Benedict Cumberbatch spoke about Doctor Strange, and while talking about the character of Stephen Strange, he said-
“Being someone who is of our sensual reality, he has a lifestyle, he has a s*xuality, he’s materialistic. Those are more universal things than some of the characters I play, who are slightly sociopathic. I keep reminding people I can do ordinary. He’s less strange than other characters I’ve played. He’s lost the power to love, which doesn’t make him a nasty person.”
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He further mentioned-
“I just think he’s closed off. It’s only when he has his accident and everything that he’s ever had in his life falls apart that he becomes pretty monstrous. It’s the self-loathing rage of a wounded animal and he doesn’t have a coping mechanism at all. It ties in with the discipline and the magic of this world. The biggest lesson he learns in this film is it’s not all about him.”
While talking about what makes the character of Doctor Strange heroic, he said-
“It will be obvious to anyone who sees it that he earns that cloak. You think he’s doing all right and then you realise that there’s one massive lesson to learn. There’s a heroic amount of effort that goes into making him a superhero by the end of the film.”
With an IMDb rating of 7.5 out of 10, Doctor Strange is currently available on Amazon Prime Video.
