Rumor: Johnny Depp In The Mix For Marvel's 'Doctor Strange'
Marvel Studios has a reputation for going after big fish with their casting and, for their Phase Three lynchpin, they're going after one of the biggest fish there is. Latino Review reports that Johnny Depp took a meeting with Marvel to discuss playing Doctor Strange in a Phase Three film likely to be released in 2016.
According to Latino Review, if Depp did decide to play the role, it would impact what's happening in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, which currently has a fifth installment set for release in roughly the same time frame. LR also reports the current Doctor Strange script is for a thirty-year-old star but, if Depp signed on, it would be rewritten to fit him.
Besides being one of the biggest, and most marketable stars in the world, Depp is a comic book fan and mainstay at Disney. The move makes a ton of sense. A meeting is just that, though. Nothing is set and Marvel is literally just getting around to starting Phase Three, recently announcing the two leads of Edgar Wright's 2015 film Ant-Man. The smart money is Doctor Strange would follow that in a Marvel Cinematic Universe impacted by Avengers: Age of Ultron.
Speaking of "smart money" however, it's always important to remember Marvel is very careful with theirs. Besides Robert Downey Jr., the studio is notoriously careful with above the line talent and Depp commands one of the biggest price tags in Hollywood. In a way, he almost seems like too big a star for Marvel to cast. On the other hand, the actor loves the spotlight, as well as showy roles, and Doctor Strange checks both those boxes. Plus not even Johnny Depp is bigger than Marvel right now.
Do you think Depp would make a good Doctor Strange? Is he basically dream casting?