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If there’s one thing that you can say about Marvel Studios’ efforts to date, it’s that their casting has been spot-on (with the arguable exception of Bruce Banner, but they definitely got that one right in the end). The casting of Doctor Strange, the company’s Sorcerer Supreme and central character of a rumored upcoming movie, then, has a lot to live up to. Reports are suggesting that the actor Marvel wants for the role will happily keep up the standards already set.
According to a report on Latino Review, Marvel’s number one choice to play Stephen Strange – a neurologist who becomes Earth’s mightiest magician after an accident leaves him unable to perform surgery – is none other than Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
To call this far from a done deal would even be a stretch, given the number of provisos Latino Review places in its news. The site reports that “we are not saying that an offer has been made, that talks have even engaged and who knows, Levitt and his team are probably unaware, BUT we are hearing that Marvel execs internally are discussing tha Levitt is who they figure would be ideal.”
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Levitt – who has taken on his fair share of nerd-centric roles in recent years, including G.I. Joe‘s Cobra Commander, The Dark Knight Rises‘ John Blake and an upcoming turn in Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez‘ Sin City: A Dame to Kill For – would undoubtedly be a good fit for the character, bringing a similar charm to the role as Robert Downey Jr. does to Iron Man‘s Tony Stark. But… isn’t he a little too big for Marvel?
Traditionally, Marvel has gone for lesser-known actors – or, at least, cheaper actors – for their title roles; prior to being cast in Captain America and Thor, Chris Evans and Chris Helmsworth hadn’t headlined movies of that scale, and even Downey Jr. was on a downswing when he was cast in the first Iron Man.
Levitt, however, has been the, or a, lead in Looper, Inception and The Dark Knight Rises in recent memory, as well as his upcoming Sin City role. He feels as if he’s “arrived” in a way that other Marvel leads hadn’t at their time of casting. Does this mean that he’s too big for Marvel, or that they’re looking at more familiar faces to play less familiar characters? Assuming the rumor is correct, we may get an answer as soon as Marvel Studios’ appearance at Comic-Con next weekend.
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