Rejoice CUMBERBITCHES! He will be DOCTOR STANGE!!

News has broken in the last hour or so regarding the identity of the man to cast the spells and wear the cape whilst holding the Eye of Agomotto.

Deadline are reporting that Marvel have finally made their choice for the leading man they want to play the Sorcerer Supreme on the silver screen once Phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe kicks off. The man they appear to have gone for is Benedict Cumberbatch.

The star of BBC‘s Sherlock series is now reportedly in negotiations with the studio, over terms for the role, however there is no doubt that he’s the man that director Scott Derrickson sees as the perfect choice to play the mystical magician.

Should the negotiations prove fruitful and Cumberbatch indeed signs on as reported, then this would be a massive feather in the cap for Marvel, as Benedict Cumberbatch‘s stock within Hollywood continues to rise following notable roles in recent films such as Star Trek: Into Darkness, 12 Years a Slave, The Fifth Estate, as well as  the forthcoming Alan Turing biopic The Imitation Game. Not only that, it would seem that following the recent breakdown of negotiations between the Marvel and Joaquin Phoenix the studio, in my opinion, have decided to trade up.

Variety, Who are also running the story, state that one of the reasons for the Joaquin Phoenix deal falling through was down to the reluctance by the actor to commit to a multi-picture deal. However they state that sources have indicated to them that a deal for Cumberbatch would be contingent on the actor’s schedule, which currently includes filming Sherlock for the BBC and other theatre productions.

It would appear then that Marvel in order to get their man are prepared to compromise in order to allow their choice to honor existing commitments.

It is expected that Doctor Strange will hit cinema’s  on July 8th 2016, although there has been no official announcement as yet on release the date.  The film is set to be directed by Scott Derrickson (Sinister, Deliver us from Evil) with the script being written by Jon Spaihts (Prometheus)

So what’s your reaction to the news that Benedict Cumberbatch is set to swap his Deerstalker for the Eye of Agomotto, put aside Watson, in favor of Wong! Let us know what you think of this latest casting decision from the House of Ideas and sound off in the comments below. Or continue the discussion with me on Twitter @telfirth

Sources Deadline, Variety