Chiwetel Ejiofor may battle Benedict Cumberbatch in ‘Doctor Strange’
Oscar nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor could be joining the Marvel universe opposite Benedict Cumberbatch in next summer’s Doctor Strange.
The Hollywood Reporter has reported that talks are said to be in the early stages, and Marvel had no comment, but that Ejiofor is wanted for a villainous role.
“Several sources have intoned that Ejiofor is wanted for a villainous role, but some insiders have pooh-poohed that. The villain is likely to be classic bad guy Baron Mordo, a sorcerer’s pupil whose next-in-line status is usurped by Strange, thus making him the physician’s mortal enemy,” the THR says.
Some sources point to the role of Wong, a monk servant to Strange who is adept in martial arts or the role of the Ancient One, a semi-immortal mystic who mentors Strange and is the sorcerer supreme of this dimension, says the Reporter.
The Sherlock star’s casting excited the fan base of Marvel films, as the Oscar nominated Cumberbatch is a favorite. Ejiofor, who was nominated for a best actor Oscar for his performance in 12 Years a Slave, already has notched a number of villainous roles on this thespian sash, notably in Joss Whedon’s Serenity and Children of Men.
Doctor Strange arrives in theaters November 4, 2016.
