There was that one rumor that Marvel was going after Morgan Freeman, Ken Watanabe and Bill Nighy for the role of The Ancient One in Doctor Strange, but other than that, all we really know is that Benedict Cumberbatch is playing the title character.  However, that could change shortly because according to THR, Marvel is currently in early talks with Oscar nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor for an unknown leading role.

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Some of THR’s sources claim that Ejiofor is up for a villainous role, but other insiders say that’s not the case.  I don’t know enough about the source material to speculate on who Ejiofor might play, but THR throws out Doctor Strange’s sidekick and master martial artist Wong and Doctor Strange’s mentor The Ancient One as options.  The outlet also adds that Baron Mordo is likely the villain of the film.

Apparently Doctor Strange isn’t going into production until after Captain America: Civil War, so perhaps director Scott Derrickson still has a good deal of time to hash out casting details.  However, the film’s November 4, 2016 release date isn’t all that far off.

Hopefully Ejiofor’s deal goes through, but just in case it doesn’t, he’s still got a bunch of films on the way with some serious potential.  Z for Zachariah is having its premiere at Sundance on Saturday and he’s also in the midst of shooting Billy Ray’s The Secret in Their Eyes and Ridley Scott’s The Martian.

Here’s the official synopsis for Doctor Strange:

The film, directed by Scott Derrickson with Jon Spaihts writing the screenplay, will follow the story of neurosurgeon Doctor Stephen Strange who, after a horrific car accident, discovers the hidden world of magic and alternate dimensions.