Somebody Other than Joaquin Phoenix will be 'Doctor Strange'

When rumors surfaced, and then were confirmed, that Joaquin Phoenix was Marvel's top choice to play Doctor Strange, it was met with a great deal of excitement. Here is another actor who could do for Marvel what Robert Downey Jr. did for Iron Man and The Avengers. But really, it never quite seemed like the kind of gig Phoenix would be interested in. And apparently he wasn't, because Deadline reports negotiations with Phoenix have come to an end with no deal in place.

This puts Marvel basically back at square one in their search to find someone to play the good Doctor, and it's not as if they don't have a long list of potential candidates. Tom Hardy, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jared Leto, and Johnny Depp have been mentioned as possibilities in the past, along with Boardwalk Empire's Jack Huston. One name that was never truly in the mix is Ethan Hawke, despite some reports listing him as a candidate. We may see Marvel go with a younger, rising star like Huston rather than reaching for a bigger, more established name. It's worked for them in the past with Chris Hemsworth and Chris Evans, after all.

Scott Derrickson is set to direct Doctor Strange with the expectation it will open on July 8th 2016, although that has not been confirmed.