Marvel needs a new flagship superhero to take the lead in their expanded universe- Robert Downey Jr. is rumored to be close to retiring from his "Iron Man" role, with Chris Evans potentially following suit.
So far, "Doctor Strange" seems like their best bet at a new mega-hero. Kevin Feige and the rest of the Marvel Studios bigwigs seem to be looking at Joaquin Phoenix to play the legendary doctor of mysticism, given a flood of reports just before Comic-Con this year, as reported by Breathecast.
Phoenix would be a solid choice- another noteworthy actor, like Downey Jr., and with a somewhat troubled history. Downey Jr., used "Iron Man" to rebound from a career damaged by drug addiction, while Phoenix could use "Doctor Strange" to reclaim a place in the Hollywood blockbuster spotlight- ever since we went a little crazy promoting the film "I'm Still Here," Phoenix has only been showing up in smaller, indie films- even if he's still been delivering great performances.
But another actor has his eyes on the role of Stephen Strange- "The Dark Knight Rises" actor Matthew Modine. According to Unleash the Fanboy, Modine had this to say on a potential "Doctor Strange" role:
"Whenever there's an opportunity to work in a high-profile film, and in this case such a delicious role, you want the appropriate people to be aware of your interest. It would be interesting to see if Marvel might take notice of voices on Twitter. We live in a brave new world of instant shout-outs."
We'll see if his Twitter campaign actually gets him anywhere, or if he ends up crushed under Phoenix.
KpopStarz also pegs "Doctor Strange" as having a release date of July 8, 2016, and being a more serious film than other recent Marvel offerings, like "Iron Man 3," "Thor: The Dark World" or "Guardians of the Galaxy."
Check back soon- after "Ant-Man" and "Captain America 3," "Doctor Strange" seems to be the next big Marvel movie in the pipeline. There's sure to be more updates shortly.
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