Johnny Depp Likely Won't Be 'Doctor Strange'; May Return for Scott Cooper-Directed 'Black Mass'

So all of that excitement over Johnny Depp as Doctor Strange may have been for nothing. As is so often the case with major casting rumors involving A-listers like Depp, the story wasn't quite what it appeared to be. Depp had apparently met with Marvel over the lead role in the expected film, but Deadline now says that meeting was awhile ago and "never went anywhere". THR adds that an entirely new script is being drafted, as well, so this may still be quite a ways off. That will leave plenty of room for Depp to return for Alice in Wonderland 2 and Pirates of the Caribbean 5, which Disney would probably rather have him ready for.

But Depp's got other non-franchise projects he could fall back on, like the Whitey Bulger biopic, Black Mass. You'll recall that the Barry Levinson-directed film had already attracted Depp and co-star Joel Edgerton before getting shelved due to a salary dispute. Levinson is definitely out, but now Out of the Furnace director Scott Cooper is stepping in. He'll also rewrite the script which centers on the infamous mobster who was on the run for decades before being captured in 2011. With Cooper on board, Depp is apparently interested in playing Bulger again and has begun talks to iron out the money situation.

Lots of options on the table for Depp but it looks like joining the Marvel Universe isn't going to be one of them.