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Doctor Strange has been to millions of universes, but in none of them did he ever see Joaquin Phoenix turn down the chance to play his role. Yes, as crazy as that sounds, Joaquin Phoenix actually came pretty close to becoming Marvel’s Sorcerer Supreme before Benedict Cumberbatch.
The Oscar-winning actor was considered for the 2016 movie and even spent hours discussing the character with director Scott Derrickson. And things were getting promising for him very soon.
But maybe Cumberbatch was always meant to play Doctor Strange. The casting story soon took a very unexpected turn after that, and the role eventually went out of Joaquin’s hands.
Why Joaquin Phoenix Almost Became Doctor Strange
Scott Derrickson, the director of Doctor Strange back in 2016, already had a dream actor in mind before he even started auditioning for the role. He always wanted Benedict Cumberbatch, who was then best known as Sherlock, as Sorcerer Supreme. But the stars didn’t align back then, and Cumberbatch’s schedule didn’t match Marvel’s dates.
That’s when Joaquin Phoenix came into the picture. Surely, it wasn’t a bad backup plan, as back then, Phoenix was already an established actor. Even Derrickson was genuinely excited to work with him. However, Phoenix had another major concern regarding the long-term contracts with Disney.
Phoenix knew that playing a major Marvel character wasn’t a one-and-done project. Apparently, the studio wanted its superheroes to stick around for multiple seasons. Still, he wasn’t completely sold on the idea.
Scott Derrickson Thought Joaquin Phoenix Never Belonged In The MCU
When Scott Derrickson met Joaquin Phoenix, he wasn’t the only one questioning whether Doctor Strange was the right move. Derrickson was starting to feel the same way.
Recalling the casting process, the filmmaker told SlashFilm, “I met with a bunch of actors, and Joaquin was the one that I spent the most time with. As we continued to talk, it became clear to me that Joaquin didn’t really belong in that movie and probably never belonged in the MCU.”
But Derrickson respected Phoenix’s approach to acting. The problem was that his creative goals didn’t exactly match what Marvel was looking for. Basically, both men realized that forcing Phoenix into the MCU might not be the smartest move.
Ultimately, instead of settling for someone else, Derrickson managed to convince Marvel Studios and Disney to move the entire filming schedule to accommodate Cumberbatch.
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