Chiwetel Ejiofor Circling ‘Doctor Strange’
Marvel Studios could be setting up a12 Years a Slavereunion.Chiwetel Ejioforis reportedly circlingDoctor Strange, which will starBenedict Cumberbatchas the title character.Scott Derricksonis directing. More on the possible Chiwetel EjioforDoctor Strangecasting after the jump.
TheWrapreports Ejiofor is nearing a deal for the comic book movie, and in fact has already begun turning down roles to make room for theDoctor Strangeshoot this fall. Marvel hasn’t yet confirmed the casting, let alone revealed which character Ejiofor will be playing. Plot details are also being kept under wraps for now.
According to their trade’s source, Ejiofor willnotbe portraying the villain, believed to be Baron Mordo. (Daniel Brühlhas been rumored for that one.)Instead, they believe Ejiofor will be playing the Ancient One. He serves as mentor to both Stephen Strange and Baron Mordo, and precedes Strange as Earth’s Sorcerer Supreme.
An earlier rumorhad peggedMorgan Freeman,Bill Nighy, andKen Watanabeas three possibilities for the Ancient One. Ejiofor seems a bit young for the role in comparison, but maybe Marvel has decided to go in a different direction for the character.THRadditionally suggests that Ejiofor may be playing Wong, Doctor Strange’s monk servant/sidekick. Although the character is Chinese in the comics, Marvel has previously demonstrated that isn’t entirely adverse to mixing up the ethnicities of supporting characters, as they did for Heimdall in theThormovies.
Ejiofor is currently shootingThe Martianfor Ridley Scott and will next move on to Billy Ray’s remake ofThe Secret in Their Eyes. Later this year, he’ll be seen in Craig Zobel’s post-apocalyptic dramaZ for Zachariahand John Hillcoat’s crime dramaTriple Nine. He was recently eyed for the villain role inSpectre, but a deal was never struck.
