Deadline reports Benedict Cumberbatch is in final negotiations to become Marvel’s Doctor Strange. This comes after the studio failed to lock down Joaquin Phoenix for the role. As we’ve explained, Strange is known for such mystical acts as uttering spells, reading forbidden manuscripts, and levitating while surrounded by candles. Scott Derrickson (Deliver Us From Evil) is directing, and Jon Spaihts (Prometheus) is writing the solo movie about a neurosurgeon turned Sorcerer Supreme. For Cumberbatch, this is another in a streak of iconic figures, following Sherlock, Smaug, Khan, and, of course, Mr. Burns in the X-Files episode of The Simpsons.
