Meet the stars of Marvel’s latest hero with our Doctor Strange cast spotlight
Doctor Strange is about to open up the Marvel Cinematic Universe to the realm of magic. We’ve seen it in small doses before, but this character is all about mystical powers. Benedict Cumberbatch will play Stephen Strange, a neurosurgeon who, through a series of circumstances, becomes a master magician. The next film in the MCU saga will open on November 4, 2016 and we’re here to introduce you to the characters with a Doctor Strange cast spotlight. The “Phase Three” film is directed by Scott Derrickson and produced by Marvel President Kevin Feige. Check out the cast list below and let us know which members of the Doctor Strange cast you’re most looking forward to seeing on the big screen. (And yes, Stan Lee will have a cameo!)
Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Stephen Strange
Cumberbatch plays Doctor Stephen Strange, a neurosurgeon who is in a terrible car accident, derailing his practice. In the comics, he travels the world to find a way to restore his abilities and encounters the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton). She (‘he’ in the comics) introduces him to the mystical world and he becomes the Sorcerer Supreme, keeping the Earth safe from evil magic. Cumberbatch, who was the first choice for the role, initially had to turn it down because of a theater commitment, has stated that he’s excited for the spiritual aspects of the role. Cumberbatch became known in the United States for his work as the lead in the BBC series Sherlock where he played opposite Martin Freeman’s Watson. He’s appeared in films like Atonement, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Warhorse. He was the voice of Smaug in the Hobbit films, the voice of Shere Khan in Andy Serkis’ upcoming The Jungle Book and played Julian Assange in The Fifth Estate. He recently played Khan Noonien Singh in Star Trek Into Darkness. He’s often referred to as “the Internet’s boyfriend.”
Chiwetel Ejiofor as Karl Mordo
Ejiofor plays Mordo, a fellow student of the Ancient One. He’s less of a villain in the film than he is in the comics where he’s known as Baron Mordo. Derrickson has stated that Mordo is something of an amalgamation of a number of different characters here, and we may see him as the main villain later. Ejiofor got his big break from Steven Spielberg early on playing James Covey in Amistad. Geeks known him as the Operative from Serenity, the film follow up to the Joss Whedon TV series Firefly. He played Luke in Children of Men and received the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor for his performance in Othello on stage. Ejiofor received an Academy Award nomination for playing Solomon Northup in 12 Years a Slave and a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie for his performance in Dancing on the Edge.
Rachel McAdams as Christine Palmer
McAdams plays Christine Palmer. Fans who’ve done their comic book research might recognize the name as one of the women from the Night Nurse comics. Claire Temple is famously one of the others, who appears in Daredevil (and all the other Marvel/Netflix series, played by Rosario Dawson). In the film, she’s a fellow surgeon. McAdams made her debut in the film The Hot Chick and appeared as Regina George in Mean Girls. Her big break, however, came with her lead role in the film adaptation of the Nicholas Sparks novel The Notebook. She’s appeared in The Lucky Ones, Wedding Crashers, and starred in Morning Glory with Harrison Ford. She recently received an Academy Award nomination for her role in the film Spotlight.
Benedict Wong as Wong
Wong plays, well, Wong, one of the Masters of Mystic arts in the film. In the comics, however, the character was a stereotypical sidekick for Doctor Strange. He wasn’t initially included in the script, but his character was reworked for the film. Fans have seen Wong as Bruce Ng in The Martian and Kublai Khan in the Netflix series Marco Polo. He played Pete Cheng in State of Play and appeared in the fourth season of The IT Crowd.
Michael Stuhlbarg as Nicodemus West
Stuhlbarg plays Nicodemus West, a rival scientist to Stephen Strange, but fans will recognize him as Arnold Rothstein from the HBO series Boardwalk Empire. He played Larry Gopnik in A Serious Man, for which he was nominated for a number of awards. He appeared in Hitchcock, Trumbo and Steve Jobs. He’ll appear next in the Guillermo Del Toro film The Shape of Water.
Mads Mikkelsen as Kaecilius
Kaecilius is another blending of villains in the film, according to Feige, but in the comics, he is a disciple of Baron Mordo. Mikkelsen just ended a successful turn as Dr. Hannibal Lecter on the TV series Hannibal. He played the villain Le Chiffre in the James Bond film Casino Royale, and Tristan in King Arthur, as well as doing the Danish dubbing for Chick Hicks in the animated film Cars. He played Draco in the Clash of the Titans remake and will next be seen as Galen Erso, the father of the lead Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
Tilda Swinton as The Ancient One
The Ancient One was a male character in the comics, but the role has been gender-swapped for the film. According to Feige and Swinton, there have been a number of Ancient Ones, though the film has received accusations of whitewashing for the casting choice. The Ancient One trains Stephen Strange in the ways of magic. Swinton won a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for the role of Karen Crowder in Michael Clayton. She’s appeared in films like We Need to Talk About Kevin, Only Lovers Left Alive, Snowpiercer and The Grand Budapest Hotel. She played the role of Gabriel in Constantine and the White Witch in the Chronicles of Narnia films. She most recently appeared as twins Thora and Thessaly Thacker in Hail, Caesar!
Benjamin Bratt as Unknown
Bratt is playing an unknown character in the film, but fans are familiar with his work. He was nominated for an Emmy for his work as Detective Rey Curtis on the TV series Law & Order and he played Dr. Jake Reilly on Private Practice. He’s appeared in films like Miss Congeniality with Sandra Bullock, as well as Traffic, La Mission and Piñero.
What do you think of the Doctor Strange cast? Are you excited to see magic enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe? We want to know what you think. Leave your thoughts in the comments and stay tuned to ComingSoon.net for more Doctor Strange updates.
(Photo Credit: Patricia Schlein / Alberto Reyes / FayesVision / Dan Jackman / Mario Mitsis / Ivan Nikolov / WENN.com)
