Chiwetel Ejiofor To Join Benedict Cumberbatch In ‘Doctor Strange’ Film?

Avengers: Age of Ultron, Ant-Man, and Captain America: Civil War. These are all the films we have to get through before we see Benedict Cumberbatch play the titular role of Doctor Strange. But in true Marvel fashion, fans are several movies ahead in their excitement, and announcements are coming left and right for the comic giant’s most anticipated new film property (sorry, Ant-Man). According to the Hollywood Reporter, Academy Award nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor (Love Actually, Twelve Years a Slave) may be joining Benedict Cumberbatch in an unknown role in Doctor Strange.

“The actor is being courted by Marvel to take on an unspecified role in the company’s ‘Doctor Strange,’ The Hollywood Reporter has learned, and could join Benedict Cumberbatch, who is starring as the surgeon turned sorcerer supreme Stephen Strange, aka Doctor Strange. Talks are said to be in the early stages, and Marvel had no comment.”

Rumors regarding who the British actor may be playing have been entirely unhelpful, as some indicate Ejiofor wants to play a villain while others directly contradict that claim. Ejiofor was in talks to play a villain in the upcoming James Bond film, Spectre, so if he’s still on that kick, perhaps a villain is the direction he’ll go. That being said, there is no solid evidence in either direction. If he were to play a villain, though, it would likely be a secondary villain, as Daniel Bruhl has already been cast as the main antagonist of the Doctor Strange film.

Chiwetel Ejiofor is by no means new to the acting game, though his career definitely hit a high point last year when he was nominated for an Oscar for his role in Twelve Years a Slave. His casting would continue Marvel’s long streak of hiring talented and decorated actors in their films (Robert Downey Jr., Robert Redford, and Glenn Close are other examples), and would help in giving weight to one of the more obscure and strange (no pun intended) properties Marvel has to work with.

Doctor Strange will be directed by Scott Derrickson (of Sinister fame) and is set to begin filming when Captain America: Civil War is done, whenever that may be. The film is currently slated for a release date of November 4, 2016, nearly two years at this point.

Any thoughts of Chiwetel Ejiofor potentially joining the Marvel fray? What kind of role do you expect from the seasoned actor? Let us know in the comments down below!