So the Dr Strange movie is coming up and this is one franchise that's pretty dear to my heart. When I was a kid, all I'd read was The Mighty Thor and The Defenders, and Defenders lead me on to Dr Strange's own series'. I think the movie should go for a kind of contemporary fantasy, rooted in today's world as everyone knows it. Instead of alternating between the magical world and the regular one (which worked well for the Thor franchise) they should interweave the two. Look at other works of contemporary and urban fantasy to get an idea of what I'm talking about, like Neil Gaiman's novel and TV series Neverwhere or Del Toro's Hellboy II: The Golden Army.
As for the tone, I think it's important that the film stays in touch with humour, like how most of the marvel movies have. When you're dealing with a wizard who says things like "By the hoary hosts of hoggoth!" it's important to poke a little fun at it all. Marvel Adventures: Dr Strange is a good example of approaching the Sorceror Supreme with humour. That said, I wouldn't want the movie to downplay the gravitas or mysticism of the character. Dr Strange: The Oath is a five part comic that is great for anyone who wants to begin reading the character and it nails the tone I'd like to see in a movie. It's light-hearted and funny, characters are strong, and yet Strange commands a certain presence and he himself isn't a joke.
Dr. Strange
Riz Ahmed
I really love this character and no fancast choice has ever really resonated with me. Seeing this guy made me think of the Sorceror Supreme straight away. He has all the right features; Strong brows, a hero's jawline, deep and enigmatic eyes and even the facial hair. The guy can give off a mystical vibe and natural wisdom. I think he's the perfect choice. I prefer the red blue and gold, leopard-skin gloves look because it's so classic and campy, but if they went with the newer red-and-black look, Ahmed could pull it off like nobody's business. Now yes, he's younger than the Strange we're used to, but I don't see this affecting the character too much. Arrogant surgical progidy and arrogant surgical veteran aren't too far apart. Besides, it's all about the wisdom and maturity one can convey through acting that counts, not just age, and Ahmed proved his chops in (the mediocre)
The Reluctant Fundamentalist which he was the highlight of.
If I had to pick another:
Okay, say there was some editorial mandate and it had to be a white guy? Matthew Goode looks good in a costume, and he can also give off eerie, powerful, enigmatic vibes. He wouldn't be a bad pick, but isn't the MCU white enough as it is?
Clea
Eva Green
Eva Green's been receiving a lot of attention lately and with good reason. She's a real powerhouse performer and some of you might be surprised to see her cast as Clea and not as Umar. I see no reason why she should be typecast as a villain, and I think she could be great as a more compassionate character. Clea is very independent, and in the comics she's often running around, fulfilling her own agenda and leading rebellions. I'd like to see that represented in the movies - she'd be an ally to Stephen, not a sidekick. And I'd rather not have a focus on their romance - a mention of it having happened in the past maybe but no more. Personally I'm not a fan of Clea and Stephen seeing as the teacher-student thing is, let's face it, kinda weird. Just my opinion of course.
Baron Mordo
Oscar Isaac
Full disclosure: I love Oscar Isaac. I think he's great and I think he'd kick ass in this role. I've always thought he was under-rated, since I saw him in things like Robin Hood, Sucker Punch and Drive. Since Baron Mordo is typically kind of a one-note villain, I chose Isaac because he can make him sympathetic. I see Mordo in this film as being a guy with a lot of pride, but it's very fragile, and having been rejected for the role of Sorceror Supreme really hurt this pride. So he turns to darker powers, but unlike the comic version, this Mordo would be overwhelmed and in over his head. His actions would come from a desire to make something of himself, his ambition, rather than his malice. In Drive especially, Isaac showed us that he can play a flawed but sympathetic character very well. Mordo should be threatening, but ultimately a plaything of the real big bads.
Umar
Daryl Hannah
I'm not sure that Daryl Hannah is someone who is on many people's radars lately, but she always stuck out to me. She's played two of my favorite villains, Elle Driver and Pris from Bladerunner. Umar, mother of Clea and brother to Dormammu, is an evil sorceress and it's not going to be an understated role. Hannah is someone who proved she can ham it up for roles like Elle Driver and really chew the scenery. Not only that, but one of the few consistent traits of Umar that sets her apart is her defined square jaw that Hannah has. Of course, I wanted to pick an older actress even though in modern comics Umar is depicted as having a youthful body. It's boring to me to put another mid-twenties swimsuit model on the screen, and I thought it could be confusing to audiences seeing as she would have to pass as Clea's mother.
I also considered Claudia Black for this role, because Claudia Black should really play every role ever.
Wong
Takeshi Kaneshiro
I'll be honest, I'm being a little shallow here. I saw house of flying daggers back when it came out but I'm hardly qualified to totally attest to Kaneshiro's talents as an actor. I just think he fits the look of Wong. Instead of your generic wise older butler-type, I'd like to see Kaneshiro as a loyal but slightly innocent young companion, and a very pragmatic man who deals with the more tangible things in life, compared to stephen. Wong is Stephen's close friend, servant and bodyguard, and I'd like a few scenes where Strange is say, powering up a long spell and an enemy charges at him, and if Wong wasn't there to kick the guy's ass Stephen would have been doomed. Scenes like that to demonstrate the contrast between their skillsets and approaches to problem-solving, and show how they make a good team. Kaneshiro easily won over our sympathies with an almost boyish charm in House of Flying Daggers and like I said, he has the look down. Provided he's willing to go bald.
The Ancient One
James Hong
You may have surmised that I'm a Bladerunner fan by now. In any case, I'm not the first person to suggest this fancast, but I honestly think it's a great choice. Hong has the right face shape, he's the right age, he has the acting chops. This guy can do more than comedy, I promise. I want the Ancient One to be like a mix between Yoda and Dumbledore. Old, wise, powerful, but he appears funny and harmless. Of course, the worst thing they ever did with Yoda was give him a little baby-sized lightsaber and put him in a fight scene. The Ancient One should be kept out of the action. His power should only be hinted at, and it should be enormous. I would suggest using some practical effects and make-up to make him look older and more, well, ancient.
Linda Carter a.k.a Night Nurse
Aubrey Plaza
Okay this is my absolute dream. Yes I love Aubrey Plaza and I would give anything for her to be in a Marvel movie, yes I absolutely adore the character of Night Nurse and would prefer her to be the main love interest, yes I am a fan of Parks and Recreation and yes this is all part of my plan to one day have Night Nurse played by Aubrey Plaza meet Star-Lord played by Chris Pratt and have a parks reunion in the middle of Avengers 17 or whatever. But screw it, this could work. Imagine Linda as an intern who Stephen is close to when he's a doctor, in a flashback or something. She piques his interest and becomes his only real work friend and she warns him that he's getting too callous. Years later, and he is the Sorceror Supreme and she is the Night Nurse, a doctor who treats injured superheroes discreetly. The two would have instant chemistry.
Not to mention that this would be a great way for Marvel to introduce some street level heroes in cameos or mentions. Tie-ins to the upcoming netflix series perhaps? Linda could mention healing Daredevil or Iron Fist or someone recently. Food for thought, Marvel. You know you want to.
The Dread Dormammu
Tim Curry
Tim Curry is a national treasure and no one can convince me otherwise. If you've seen him as the Lord of Darkness, you know his voice is one of a kind. The Dread Dormammu, the Faltinian Sorceror Demon, an very easily be a boring villain. I'm sorry to say that I find most fancast choices for Dormammu pretty bland, but it's understandable because Dormammu himself is often bland. If he is just played as a big evil demon that wants to blow stuff up, there's not much there. I'd like to see an eccentric, almost insane, villain who has childlike tendencies but the power of a god. Who but Curry could give us a performance that is fear-inducing yet playful and delectable enough to be demonic? He could of course also do the mo-cap. Now look at the right half of that picture and tell me you don't want to see Tim Curry's face floating demonically in a crown of flames.
Well, that's all for my fancast. I could also see Nightmare as a villain for one of the Dr Strange movies (since hopefully there would be a trilogy and Dormammu wouldn't show up until the end) and I've considered Jackie Earle Haley but with Jeffrey Combs as the voice.
Either way, tell me what you think of my fancast and what actors you'd like to see and which ones you wouldn't.