Casting Rumors: Matthew McConaughey for ‘The Stand,’ Jack Huston ‘Doctor Strange’

Two huge roles were linked to two big names this week with Matthew McConaughey thought to be sought for a role in the new adapatation of Stephen King’s The Stand and a new name linked to Marvel’s Doctor Strange.

According to Deadline, Warner Bros has McConaughey in mind for the role of the villainous Randall Flagg in the post-apocalyptic King tale, a man who sets about forming his own civilisation in the wreckage of a plague-decimated America.

However, director Josh Boone would like McConaughey to play Stu Redman, the hero of the piece who finds himself immune to the aforementioned plague. If McConaughey likes the scripts and can work with the schedule, then he’ll likely get offered the choice of either role.

“This is by no means a firm situation, but it’s understandable why the studio thinks McConaughey would be a compelling and persuasive force of evil in the film,” Deadline notes in casting announcement.

Only Marvel could have bigger news, with Boardwalk Empire star Jack Huston in the running for the role of Doctor Strange. According to This Is Infamous, Huston is reportedly “under consideration” for the role and is “definitely in the running.”

Huston joins a long list of Hollywood A-listers: Jon Hamm, Jared Leto, Justin Theroux, Joaquin Phoenix, Benedict Cumberbatch, Johnny Depp and Tom Hardy.

“Huston certainly fits what Marvel typically looks for in their leads – he’s known, but he’s not a star. He’s in the right age range – 31, to be exact – that he can be around the MCU for awhile, and his age won’t really become a factor for the character. Plus, while his star may be on the rise, it’s still in its infant stages, so he fits right into their budgetary approach, which is to typically get people before they’re in demand and then make them hot from their inclusion in the MCU,” the coverage notes.

Doctor Strange is set for theaters on July 8, 2016 while there is no set dates for The Stand.