Benedict Cumberbatch confirmed as Dr. Strange

After many names being touted for the lead role in Dr. Strange, Marvel have officially agreed a deal with none other than Benedict Cumberbatch. The British actor, famous for his performances in hit TV series Sherlock, Star Trek Into Darkness and most recently The Imitation Game, has been cast to star as Dr. Stephen Vincent Strange, a neurosurgeon who becomes the Sorcerer Supreme when he loses the use of his hands in a car accident. There had been a lot of rumours concerning who would star as the goatee-boasting wizard, with Joaquin Phoenix engaged in long talks with Marvel before the studio returned to square one; luckily, Cumberbatch is an extraordinarily talented actor, worthy of the amount of acclaim he gets, and will hopefully join Robert Downey Jr. as the next prestige performer to join the Marvel ranks. Dr. Strange will be the studio’s first foray into what Marvel head Kevin Feige described at the slate announcement as ‘the supernatural’, and will be directed by Scott Derickson who helmed horrors Sinister and The Exorcism of Emily Rose.