With the recent news that Chiwetel Ejiofor might be cast in a major role in the upcoming Marvel Studios film Doctor Strange (2016), I began to wonder what character he might play.
Additionally, I believe the choice of Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange is a strong choice given his recent performances in 12 Years A Slave (also starring the aforementioned Ejiofor), Star Trek Into Darkness, and Imitation Game.
Cumberbatch brings a strong, refined presence that Strange is known for in the comic books and I expect him to handle the mystical elements of the character with ease due to the wide range of characters that he’s played to-date.
The casting possibilities for Chiwetel Ejiofor are even more fascinating. The most immediate one that springs to mind is Brother Voodoo, a native Haitian psychologist who becomes a sorcerer, and eventually replaces Strange as Sorcerer Supreme (the mystical protector of the Earthbound dimension).
Or Marvel could go the route of casting Ejiofor in a supporting role that has been portrayed in the comics by characters such as: The Ancient One, the Tibetan master-sorcerer who trained and mentored Dr. Strange and was a former Sorcerer Supreme himself; Wong, a longtime assistant and friend of Strange, or Baron Mordo, a powerful, Transylvanian sorcerer and long-time villain of Strange.
There a lot of “Strange” possibilities for this film. But Marvel Studios has often shown us that strange can be a good thing.
