Johnny Depp meets with Marvel about taking the ‘Dr. Strange’ role: good choice?

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Marvel has Machiavellian plans to take over the universe. I’ve heard the whispers, I’ve read the reports. They have, like, a ten year plan of how they’re going to roll out certain characters and franchises and who is deserving of a launch and who is a “company man” and who isn’t. I think Ant-Man is going to be one of their next franchise launches, and they’ve given the part to forever-20-something Paul Rudd. Now everyone is talking about the potential – in, like, three years – launch of a Dr. Strange franchise. Early rumors had Benedict Cumberbatch meeting with Marvel people about the role, which sounds somewhat tailor-made for Cumby. I mean, if anything, it’s TOO on-the-nose to hire Cumby to play a character named “Dr. Strange.” But what if Cumby’s meetings didn’t go well? What if Marvel dumps Cumby because they spy a bigger fish? A bigger fish wearing a vest, two jackets, three scarves, ten necklaces, a bandana under a hat and 13 rings. Yes, now there’s a rumor that Marvel wants Johnny Depp.

It was only a matter of time before Marvel Studios started courting Johnny Depp to play one of its superheroes.

Sources have told Latino Review that the Mouse House’s main man is in very early discussions with Marvel to take on the role of eccentric magician Steven Strange in “Doctor Strange,” which the company has long been developing as a solo pic to join the ranks of its “Iron Man,” “Thor” and “Captain America” franchises. “Ant-Man” is another character it hopes to launch in 2015 as a standalone franchise around one of the comicbook company’s heroes.

While it makes sense that Marvel would want to have a conversation with Depp over how it could launch a new franchise with the thesp, sources tell Variety that such talks have yet to take place and any possibility of such a pairing is premature.

Yet if he sparks to the role, Depp would play the Master of the Mystic Arts, a former neurosurgeon who becomes the next Sorcerer Supreme and primary protector of Earth against magical and mystical threats. Marvel Comics vets Stan Lee and Steve Ditko co-created the character in 1963. It would surely be a showy role that Depp could disappear into and make his own like he did with “Pirates of the Caribbean’s” Jack Sparrow and “Alice in Wonderland’s” Mad Hatter.

But any talks would have to focus on whether the actor has time to take on the role. He has several films waiting for a greenlight at Disney, including a fifth “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “Alice in Wonderland.”

Still Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has long wanted the Doctor Strange character to star in his own solo film as a way to make a movie about magic the way “Guardians of the Galaxy” pushes it into the sci-fi and space genre and “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” into political thrillers.

Character fits in with the cinematic universe Marvel is building, with Strange having paired up with Thor and the Avengers, along with Spider-Man, the X-Men and the Fantastic Four to battle enemies in the comicbooks. It’s feasible that Doctor Strange would eventually be featured in an “Avengers” sequel.

There is no word yet on when Marvel is hoping to release “Doctor Strange,” but it wouldn’t be until at least 2016. Marvel has “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “The Avengers: Age of Ultron” and “Ant-Man” bowing before then.

[From Variety]

“It would surely be a showy role that Depp could disappear into and make his own like he did with ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’s’ Jack Sparrow and ‘Alice in Wonderland’s’ Mad Hatter.” Depp wouldn’t have it any other way. He doesn’t take parts that don’t involve extravagant costumes these days. You could say that his elaborate costumes are some kind of crutch and that the straw that broke the camel’s back was perhaps when Depp plopped a stuffed crow on his head to play Tonto in The Lone Ranger. But just wait – I’m hoping that if Marvel continues to “woo” Depp, they’ll end up running away because they’ll realize Depp’s vision for Dr. Strange involves cat taxidermy, ink-black wiglets, bell-bottoms and blowing Marvel’s budget on scarves.

PS… There’s also a rumor going around that Depp has proposed to Amber Heard. Apparently, she was flashing a big diamond ring on Globes night.

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Photos courtesy of WENN.

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46 Responses to “Johnny Depp meets with Marvel about taking the ‘Dr. Strange’ role: good choice?”

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  1. Neffie says:

    What he didn’t want to marry the mother of his children but will wife up his younger model.????

    • Yep says:

      It’s so surprising, isn’t it? I’ve never been more surprised…

    • Virgilia Coriolanus says:

      From what I read, it was Vanessa who didn’t want to get married, Johnny just went along with it. Why would you think HE wouldn’t at least want to get engaged–he’s been engaged to all of his girlfriends. Why would the mother of his children be any different?

    • cool says:

      i think Vanessa was the one who didn’t want to marry.Johnny said he would di it imediatelly if she wanted.And I doubt he will indeed marry Amber because he has been engaged a LOT of times

    • No says:

      Maybe he wasn’t that in love with Vanessa as he is with Amber? who can blame him? He almost didn’t know Vanessa before she got pregnant just three months into their relationship!

      • Janie says:

        and yet, @No, he had another child with her years later.

      • Leah says:

        @NO I used to be a big depp fan when i was younger . Depp was always waxing lyrically about Vanessa during the Neverland early pirates period. It was love at first sight, she was “the one” and Vanessa saved him according to him. He certainly didn’t give the impression that he wasn’t in love with her.Depp has pretty much been engaged to all his girlfriends so its more likely that it was Vanessa that didn’t want it. I am pretty sure she even alluded to not believing in marriage.

    • Gabrielle says:

      He’s been married once before he was famous. Then he got engaged to Sherilyn Finn, Jennifer Grey, Winona Ryder and Kate Moss. He just likes to get engaged no surprise. I guess Vanessa was the one who didn’t want to get engaged/married.

    • Carla says:

      That’s probably because she didn’t want to get married because she thought it is just a paper!

  2. Tiffany says:

    Yeah Johnny, take on another franchise after the disaster of Ranger and the lack of creativity from the last Pirate film. Yep. Continue on.

    • Audrey says:

      Yeah I have some fanboys on Facebook and they are raging against Depp

    • Miffy says:

      My jaw dropped at the allusion that their making another Alice In Wonderland. Was that film some kind of success I didn’t know about? Despite a pretty impressive cast (including Depp) the whole thing being lead by Mia Wasklsjnfdkahohfowhowska (possible misspell there) was terrible. Despite all of the pomp and visuals it was just… so… flat. The credits rolled and there was a sense of ‘What? That’s it?’

      As for a fifth Pirates… seriously, the Captain Jack highjinks have run their course. It was a good character but let it die with dignity.

  3. blue marie says:

    Don’t forget that Michael Douglas will also be Ant Man (former). I think I would rather Cumby, even if he is the obvious choice. But why not go with a less known?

    As for the Amber engagement, gross.. (don’t believe it, think it’s a ploy for attention)

  4. JKL says:

    Depp would be better than Cumberbatch, I think. Both can be hammy, but Depp underplays more often (or used to, anyway).

  5. Janie says:

    As much as Depp has film flopped these past few years, I still think he’s a very rare sort of actor that can do amazing things with characters. Edward Scissorhands and Jack Sparrow being two of the better examples. So much thought went towards both roles, so much minor although important thought and detail. He not only fully embodies but he creates wonderfully before hand. Wonderful and wacky. A wacky brain not many have.

    I think his recent problem has been the ‘fully embodies’ bit. I personally believe he’s gotten a bit lazy and can do much better than he’s been doing. I once thought the reaction to his Mad Hatter deflated him, but now.. I don’t know, maybe it’s a personal life thing.

    • Virgilia Coriolanus says:

      He needs to quit working with Tim Burton and say no to any more disney movies–don’t know if he’s still signed on for the Captain Jack movies….which on some level I don’t mind, because kids LOVE THEM.

      But I think he’s learned his lesson—after Lone Ranger. He’s doing Transcendence, and that Nazi-hunter-art thief movie…….

      Also, as an aside–I finally saw the Tourist. I wasn’t expecting to like it, because I’d heard on here that Angelina and Johnny had absolutely no chemistry–which was sooo true. On some level, I got it, because she’s supposed to be cool and mysterious (which she was) to Frank, and he’s supposed to be this clueless American, but I just did not buy that she felt something for him–anything more than hoping he didn’t get shot, that type thing.

      If the story had been that she really didn’t start to fall in love with him at the beginning of the film, but instead brushed him off until she actually found out that he was Pierce, I would’ve liked the movie a lot better.

      But I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. I also didn’t like Johnny being so clueless–I don’t want to see a clueless Johnny–I want to see a hot Johnny with a short hair cut (or if it’s long, down to his shoulders, not that curly/wavy crap he had going on), NO GOATEE/BEARD THINGY, wearing a suit.

      But it was full of fashion and jewelry porn and I loved that aspect.

      • Zoe says:

        He’s also doing AIW2 and another pirates movie. Johnny likes the big checks. That’s why he passed on the Whitey movie he had signed on before, because they asked him to take a pay cut.

      • Virgilia Coriolanus says:

        @Zoe
        I thought it was explained that they had already signed him on, with his usual salary, and then asked him to take a pay cut. Which I don’t blame him for backing out–they had already agreed to pay him his usual fee.

    • Delorb says:

      For years I thought he was the most versatile actor working. Yes, some of his characters are sorta the same, but that didn’t detract from his talent. I put him up there with Sean Penn. Yeah, you read me. He seems to have gone for the money lately, which I’m fine with. Why should he be a starving artist, when people are willing to shelve out the big bucks for his talent? If he’s going to play Dr. Strange more power to him. I’ll probably see it.

      BTW, isn’t his girlfriend a lesbian?

      • Zoe says:

        Lol…
        After signing his dignity away to Disney, he is far from starving!
        And the “artist” thing is questionable as well.
        As soon as he was asked to take a pay cut, he dropped out of the film, and then signed on to a completely unnecessary AIW sequel and more of the drunk pirate as well.
        It just seems clear at this point that the Johnny who used to wax poetically about the machine that he did not want to be, is far gone.

      • Carla says:

        @Zoe Did you read the latest news? Because Depp is back on the Black Mass project.

  6. Kali says:

    Cumberbatch is too on-the-nose for casting but Captain Accessory isn’t?

  7. Red32 says:

    If he plays Dr. Strange like the Mad Hatter or *shudder* creepy Michael Jackson voice Willy Wonka, it will be a mess. Dr. Strange is not a goofy character, but considering the magic aspects, making him goofy turns it into a parody.

  8. Not says:

    PERFECT!!!!!

    • Moiselle says:

      Agreed! I haven’t hopped off the Johnny Depp train yet. When he’s blond, wearing a crow on his head, and hooking up with that tart? I’ll just take a detour for a bit.

  9. Elle says:

    He looked like he’d escaped to an alternate reality at the Globes.

  10. Kat says:

    Johnny is the perfect choice for Dr. Stranger and he has been the favorite for the fans of the comic book since years ago. He even looks alot like the Doctor in the comic. Enough said-
    But maybe Johnny is too expensive for Marvel and with too much projects on the line to take the role

  11. frisbeejada says:

    I know nothing about Marvel superheroes but from Kaiser’s brief description it needs someone whose alternative but oddly alluring – which seems to sum up Cumby nicely – Johnny Depp is alternative but lately just looks oddly stoned out of his mind – not so much a magician as magic mushroomed out of his gourd – can’t quite see that as a super Magician (shades of Harry Potter/Dr Who) protecting the earth myself…

  12. Marianne says:

    I think Johnny Depp needs to step away from these kinds of roles. Don’t get me wrong, I loved him as Captain Jack…but he started doing too many “weirdo” type roles and I think it made everyone sick of him. I actually like that he has a couple of upcoming films where he’s gonna be a nit more normal. Maybe people will be able to start taking him more seriously again.

    • Green Girl says:

      My thoughts exactly. I always get the impression the directors are like “Do that Capt. Sparrow thing you do in this scene,” even when he’s not doing Pirates films.

    • Miffy says:

      +1
      He IS a good actor, Finding Neverland reduces me to tears everytime. He just needs to take a break from these pantomime roles.

  13. Esmerelda says:

    Depp would be a good choice, with RDJ edging out of the Marvel Universe, they need a very very good actor to anchor the silly plots, and also someone who has some pull with the older crowd (parents / aunts of Marvel fanboys).
    Or they could pick Tilda.

  14. Algernon says:

    Didn’t this get shot down pretty hard?

    I feel like all the Marvel casting rumors are the result of someone digging through their trash. Like at some point someone at Marvel probably wrote a list of “10 Actors We’d Love to Hire”, then threw it away, then some enterprising reporter found it and published it as fact.

  15. Leah says:

    Marvel denied this rumour already according to deadline.
    http://www.deadline.com/2014/01/no-truth-to-johnny-depp-as-dr-strange/

  16. GIRLFACE says:

    ” A bigger fish wearing a vest, two jackets, three scarves, ten necklaces, a bandana under a hat and 13 rings. Yes, now there’s a rumor that Marvel wants Johnny Depp.” LoL!

  17. Dommy Dearest says:

    YES! If it’s true YES.

    I’ve only been able to picture Depp as the extremely powerful sorcerer! Hopefully this happens! DO IT MARVEL.

    Edit: Damnit. I see in the comments it’s not. Damnit.

  18. Zigggy says:

    He ruins the movies he’s in- I can’t stand him and that stupid dopey face he makes in character.

  19. serena says:

    Really good choice!! This makes me excited as hell!

    Dammit I hope the proposal-thing is fake… good lord, what a mess that man is.

  20. GirlyGirl says:

    God no. Can we all just admit Depp isn’t really an actor anymore? he’s just a guy who can wear wigs while smoking.

    He’s flat-out terrible.

  21. Happy21 says:

    I’m so sick of Johnny Depp and these roles he keeps taking. I can’t even tell you the last Depp movie I saw and enjoyed besides the first Pirates movie…Blow? Yeah I think so…

  22. Sofacat says:

    I used to be such a fan of his, really believed he had something special, and more to show, and then he somehow lost that quality. For me, anyway. I remember seeing him opposite Pacino in Donnie Brasco, really amazing against such an experienced actor, and thinking, in a few years, Depp is going to be just amazing. But it didn’t really happen. He seemed to prefer being a movie star rather than an actor who really wanted to develop, somehow. It’s just my vho, sure. But the choices he’s made, I just feel he really lost it along the way somewhere.

  23. Miss Jupitero says:

    Dear God, I hope not. I really like Dr. Strange, and he needs a really solid actor, not a ham.

    Cumby would be awesome as Strange, but I would actually rather see him play Morpheus in The Sandman.

  24. vv says:

    I think he has the look of Doctor Strange but it is another role where he gets to dress up and get lost in the costume. Complete with a cape this time! It was only a matter of time lol

    Oh and it looks like it was a rumor, oh well!