The MCU is the biggest and most successful film franchise in the world today, and while other contenders are also making a fortune, the MCU has genuinely reached uncharted territories with its success and massive expansion. With seemingly no end in sight, this franchise will continue to thrive for as long as it wants.
Benedict Cumberbatch has been the man playing Doctor Strange in the MCU, and fans have loved what he has brought to the franchise. He was the guy that Marvel always wanted for the job, but as casting was getting underway, Cumberbatch wound up turning down the chance to play the Sorcerer Supreme. Marvel looked at plenty of others, but Cumberbatch was the man they wanted.
So, why did the actor initially turn down Marvel? Let's take a closer look and see how things played out.
Benedict Cumberbatch Plays Doctor Strange In The MCU
In 2016, Benedict Cumberbatch made his MCU debut as Doctor Strange in the Sorcerer Supreme's very own film, and within an instant, a classic Marvel character was added to the MCU and shook things up. Since that first film, Doctor Strange has been a franchise mainstay and has grown in popularity.
In total, Cumberbatch has played Doctor Strange in four different MCU movies, including Infinity War and Endgame. He is slated to appeared in both Spider-Man: No Way Home and in his standalone sequel, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Needless to say, Marvel fans are going to be getting some insane stories on the big screen, and Strange will be a huge part of that.
To call Cumberbatch's casting a slam dunk for Marvel would be a major understatement, as he has done an amazing job with the character. However, there was once a point during the casting process when Cumberbatch turned the role down. This, in turn, led Marvel to looking at a number of other names for the role.
Plenty Of Great Actors Were Considered
Marvel's casting decisions are a key piece of their success, and it took them some time to land the right person to play Doctor Strange. During the casting process, Marvel looked at a number of prominent actors to potentially fill the role of the Sorcerer Supreme, and there were some interesting names in contention.
According to Looper, names like Joaquin Phoenix, Ryan Gosling, Jared Leto, and Ethan Hawke were all being considered. There were a few other notable names, as well, and it was clear that Marvel wanted someone with some serious acting chops to take on the role. Phoenix appeared to have the job on lock, but he wound up turning it down.
"There were too many requirements that went against my instincts for character. I’ve been spoiled. I’ve never had to make those compromises. I’ve not met a director yet with one of those films where we go through the script, they say: ‘You know what, f*** this set-piece, let’s focus on the character,'" said Phoenix.
Outside of these names, Benedict Cumberbatch was another strong contender for the role, and initially, he was the man that Marvel wanted for the job. He would, however, have to turn the studio down.
Why Cumberbatch Initially Turned Down The Role
So, why did Benedict Cumberbatch initially turn down the role of Doctor Strange?
According to Collider, "The ideal actor in mind to fill the role of Doctor Strange, at least in Derrickson and Marvel’s eyes, was Benedict Cumberbatch. The actor was approached early on, but had to turn the film down due to scheduling conflicts with Sherlock and his on-stage run in Hamlet in London. Marvel needed to get Doctor Strange in front of cameras in 2015, and unfortunately it didn’t appear as though Cumberbatch could fit the film—and its lengthy prep schedule—in."
Scheduling difficulties are nothing new in Hollywood, and many performers have had to turn down what amounted to major roles because of this. It is interesting to see that Cumberbatch found himself in a similar situation as the cast for Doctor Strange was coming together.
After going through the aforementioned actors who were in contention for the role, Marvel and Cumberbatch wound up making their way back to one another. As Collider notes, "...the studio agreed to push the entire production schedule of Doctor Strange to accommodate Cumberbatch’s prior commitments."
Thankfully, everything worked out as it was intended, and Benedict Cumberbatch has been playing the Sorcerer Supreme brilliantly ever since. The multiverse has been opened, and Doctor Strange will be a major piece of the MCU's future moving forward.
