Jan 25, 2012 by B. Alan Orange

Doctor Strange Script Completed

Doctor Strange script completed, Marvel seeks director
Doctor Strange script completed, Marvel seeks director
When last we heard about Marvel Studios and their planned adaptation of the cult comic book series Doctor Strange, Patrick Dempsey was lobbying to win the title role. Not much has come of that in the last ten months, and there has been little news about the project. But today, it has been noted that writers Thomas Dean Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer, who came aboard Doctor Strange way back in August of 2010, have finally completed their script.

Marvel Studios has confirmed this, and are now moving forward, actively searching for a director to take on this project, which they hope to have in theaters by 2013. Key cast members are also being sought at this time, but plot details and characters have not yet been disclosed.

The comic upon which the upcoming movie will be based follows a New York surgeon who suffers injuries in a car crash, awakening to find himself endowed with great psychic powers. These include telepathy, teleportation, and astral projection. Possible enemies include Nightmare: "A fear lord who rules the plagued dreams of all humans, and one of Strange's greatest enemies." Xandu: "A sorcerer seeking power through the Wand of Watoomb." And Mephisto: "One of the most powerful Hell-lords." He has also tangled with the real Dracula, lord of all vampires, which might be a popular way to go with the script if the studio is looking to cash-in on the vampire craze of the past few years, which sees no sign of dying out anytime soon.

As has become the case with Marvel Studios and Walt Disney Pictures, who are gaining a reputation as being strident penny pinchers, Doctor Strange will be shot on a considerably low budget, one that is reportedly smaller than the films leading up to and including Marvel's the Avengers. This makes sense, though, and could actually work in the film's favor, as it surely won't be pulling in the same kind of audience as Marvel Studio's previous movies, and should be shot on a smaller scale.

What do you think? Should Patrick Dempsey be Doctor Strange? Or should they go after John Hawkes? Maybe his Deadwood buddy Timothy Olyphant, who already seems to be growing the side gray for the part. Mark Strong in a wig? Anyone?

Doctor Strange is in development .


Sources: Fanshare

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Comments (37)

  1. moviegeek

    Patrick Dempsey? You must be joking...

    4 months agoby @moviegeekFlag

  2. RyanMoranMita

    good i hope they pick baron mordo as the villan

    4 months agoby @RyanMoranMitaFlag

  3. Cripple

    Viggo Mortensen should play Strange. And David Cronenberg should direct.

    4 months agoby @crippleFlag

  4. XxNickTheFilmCriticXx

    @bawnian-dexeus -- That would be quite interesting.

    4 months agoby @XxNickTheFilmCriticXxFlag

  5. littlerivers

    @narrator @ejk1 pearce would make a good murdock, but i really have a hard time picturing anyone but michael c. hall playing daredevil...

    4 months agoby @littleriversFlag

  6. lantimes

    Please get Jim cavaziel as dr strange. Monte cristo- spot on as the perfect dr strange

    4 months agoby @lantimesFlag

  7. Andrew Pagitt

    I think they should hint at dormammu in the first with Mordo being the main villain in the first. Bring in Nightmare in the second and have xandu be the hood and then revealed as xandu at the end who is helping dormammu to enter the world. Then end it with a trilogy having dormammu invade earth with the mindless ones with strange and the other sorcerers working together to fight against him. Just an idea.

    4 months agoby @Andrew-PagittFlag

  8. Vincente 'Avengers' Alonso

    @CBF A Strange story should always have Dormammu and Mordo. They should take a hint from the animated movie, which actually wasn't half bad.

    4 months agoby @vincente-avengers-alonsoFlag

  9. The Narrator: The Better Man

    @ejk1, really? Well sh*t... I thought it was a universally known fact. I totally forgot that I told you. Haha. :P

    4 months agoby @narratorFlag

  10. ejk1

    @narrator you better agree with me on Pearce. I got the idea from you :P

    4 months agoby @ejk1Flag

  11. The Narrator: The Better Man

    @7CEEZit, Cavaziel is a pretty solid choice as well. I totally overlooked him.

    4 months agoby @narratorFlag

  12. The Narrator: The Better Man

    Agreed with @ejk1. Pearce was practically born to play the role of Murdock. If anything, lobby him for that role.

    As for "McDreamy" playing Strange, not too comfortable with the idea. I'd prefer Adrian Brody, were I able to choose an actor for the role. He's got the acting chops, bears more resemblance to the character than most of the other nominees, and he's around the right age for an up and coming Dr. Steven Strange.

    4 months agoby @narratorFlag

  13. Let's Go Bub!

    This is great news, and I'm saying it now "Doctor Strange is going to be better then Thor, Iron Man, and Captain America put together if they do it right".

    4 months agoby @Number1WolverineFlag

  14. 7CEEZit

    Plus dude has screen presence and could actually be believable as the Doc. book'em dano.

    4 months agoby @7CEEZitFlag

  15. 7CEEZit

    Most definitely the man for this role is Jim Caviezal dude already looked straight up like Doc Strange on the Count of Monte Cristo

    4 months agoby @7CEEZitFlag

  16. CBF

    Okay, well first off, that's awesome news even though it took the writers forever almost placing this film into development hell. Secondly, the villains are crap. Mephistopheles is from Ghost Rider lore, even though he appears in other mythologies such as Doctor Strange, and Nightmare and Xandu are good but maybe should be held off for a potential sequel. I feel the first story should be told using Baron Mordo and Dormammu and The Ancient One.

    4 months agoby @comicbookfanFlag

  17. ejk1

    @littlerivers No. Pearce should be reserved for Daredevil.

    Oldman won't do it, so forget that idea. If he wasn't contractually obligated, he never would have shown up for TDK. I like the idea of Nestor Carbonnel getting this, but he's the Mayor in Nolan's Gotham, so I don't know if he would want it either. Dempsey wants it, but he's gotta earn it against Hawkes and others.

    4 months agoby @ejk1Flag

  18. littlerivers

    Guy Pearce for Strange, and get David Yates to direct!

    4 months agoby @littleriversFlag

  19. Vincente 'Avengers' Alonso

    Liam Neeson or Gary Oldsman. Too bad we can't use Robert Downey Jr. He's make a great Stephen Strange. Maybe go out on a limb and say Adam Baldwin?

    4 months agoby @vincente-avengers-alonsoFlag

  20. Mutant

    Doctor Strange has also appeared in the Spiderman comic's. I can't see Patrick as the main character, but whoever they pick better do a great job.
    I would love to direct a small Marvel film like this but it's not in the cards just yet. I'll be directing two short films this year to start off. One I didn't write.

    4 months agoby @zenderFlag

  21. Joshua Hollaway

    FINALLY!!!!!!!11111

    4 months agoby @Joshua-HollawayFlag

  22. arthurg09

    Give the role to Tom welling.

    4 months agoby @arthurg09Flag

  23. Josh

    @Stansfield I've been rewatching the whole series of the X-Files, and just passed the episode where Hawkes guest starred. One of the best in the series. He has such an understated presence, like he's small, but also can be terrifying.

    4 months agoby @shuabertFlag

  24. Stansfield

    @jimthar The more I think about it....the more I really like that idea. No Dempsey though...please. He sucks balls. Gary Oldman is one of my all time favorites, but I can't see him as Strange. I dig John Hawkes...and @shuabert I have to second your comment to @2movieguys...You're kidding right?? not a fan of Deadwood? Didn't see Winter's Bone? The dude is amazing and i for one am happy to see him getting work. I have liked him since way back...The Perfect Storm I think it was. This one is going to be a tough sale though.. the good Doctor isn't a very popular character in the mainstream. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out in the next year.

    4 months agoby @StansfieldFlag

  25. Josh

    @2movieguys You're kidding, right?

    4 months agoby @shuabertFlag

  26. Josh

    I could see Dempsey in the role, but I'd rather see someone like John Hawkes (I pretty much want him to play every role in every movie ever), Joseph Feinnes, Edgar Ramirez, Dominic West, or Nestor Carbonell.

    Or how about Benedict C*mberbatch? His star has risen fast over the past year. It's the kind of casting Marvel seems to go for. Someone with a known profile, but not someone who will break the bank like Depp or Bale.

    4 months agoby @shuabertFlag

  27. CelluloidDreams

    Who the hell is John Hawkes!?

    4 months agoby @2movieguysFlag

  28. Escapist

    Seconding Edward Norton, but even looking at Gary Oldman

    4 months agoby @escapistFlag

  29. Newtron

    I'll direct it :D

    4 months agoby @newtronFlag

  30. Raghu Seetharaman

    Julian McMahon

    4 months agoby @Raghu-SeetharamanFlag

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