14 DAY TRIAL // Marvel is currently drawing up the list for possible actors that are going to play Doctor Strange in the same-titled movie. Actually, scratch that, we know that Marvel has been drawing up that list for many months now. The news is that there is a new name on that list and it's moving to the top position.
Up until today, Johnny Depp was the highest-profiled actor that was present on the possible cast choices for Doctor Strange, but now Bleeding Cool is saying that actor and rocker Jared Leto has a bigger shot at landing the part.
Some sources in the media have already branded this as a big mistake and a bad decision, while others have changed their expectation for the role of Stephen Strange to fit Leto's acting, and the result, in their view, was not only acceptable, but also desirable.
Granted, Johnny Depp would be more suited for the mysterious comic book character with huge magical powers, but then again, it could also be worse than Leto: the part could go to Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who, although a solid actor, doesn't quite fit the pattern.
Just to set the record straight for those of you that don't follow closely the ever-expanding universe of Marvel's superheroes, Stephen Strange, aka Doctor Strange, received his powers from mystical origins.
He makes a transition from an arrogant and selfish neurosurgeon to a mystical master after he suffers a car crash in which his hands get injured and he requires medical assistance. Since his injuries leave him unable to perform any more surgeries, he begins seeking alternative forms of treatment.
After going broke and being forced to perform back-alley surgeries for cash, Strange finally lands in Tibet, where he learns that a hermit called The Ancient One could provide a solution for him. This hermit, who is actually Earth's Sorcerer Supreme, teaches Strange the mystic arts, turning him into the planet's protector against all magical enemies.
While Leto isn't known for playing light and comedic roles, having earned his reputation with controversial roles such as a trans-gender woman in “Dallas Buyers Club,” it would be interesting to see what direction he would take in playing such a role, were he to accept it.
The actor, who in his off-time also acts as the frontman to the rock band “30 Seconds to Mars,” has recently expressed his intention to move to the director's chair. The only thing keeping him from undertaking this new creative effort is only having “the right story to tell.”