Marvel views Doctor Strange as a potential franchise, and as such they are reportedly looking atPrometheus writer Jon Spaihts to write the first film in the series. Spaihts is no stranger to franchises, as he is currently authoring the reboot of The Mummy.
Doctor Strange already has its director: Scott Derrickson, who worked on the Keanu Reeves masterpiece The Day the Earth Stood Still. Deadline says that Marvel wants to get the movie made ASAP, and are already eyeing the likes of Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hardy, and Jared Leto for the lead role.
For the uninitiated, here is EW’s description of the Doctor Strange story:
In the comic books, Dr. Stephen Strange is an arrogant surgeon who loses his ability to operate when his hands are damaged in a car accident. Searching for a cure, he meets an ancient healer in Tibet, who then makes Strange his apprentice. The healer introduces Strange into the world of magic and sorcery, and upon his death, the Doctor assumes the role of Sorcerer Supreme, defender of mankind from enemies both natural and supernatural.
Sounds intriguing. Whether this quick turnaround comes to fruition and creates a halfway decent movie, though, is an entirely different matter.
[via EW]
