While they had Robert Downey Jr. for Iron Man, Marvel has generally shied away from getting a-list stars to lead its other franchises, not least because they’re keen on keeping the costs down. However, Latino Review reports that Johnny Depp has taken a meeting to discuss the actor taking on the role of Doctor Strange.
Depp is known to be a comic book fan and is apparently very interested in jumping into the Marvel Universe. If he does sign on it would keep him in the Disney family following the likes of Lone Ranger and Pirates of The Caribbean. He is attached to another Pirates movie, but that’s currently trapped in development.
The biggest sticking point at the moment is Depp’s schedule. He’s a busy man with a lot on his plate and a Marvel contract would likely want to tie him into more than one film so he can become a full part of the interconnected superhero universe. It would also require a script rewrite, as it’s apparently been written with someone around 30 in mind, while Depp is 50.
Doctor Strange is a former neurosurgeon, a practicing sorcerer, and serves as the Sorcerer Supreme, the primary protector of Earth against magical and mystical threats. Joseph Gordon Levitt was previously attached to the role, but he’s currently concentrating on a different kind on comic book movie, based on Neil Gaiman’s Sandman.