Why We're Worried About The Cast Of Doctor Strange
As Marvel enters its third phase of movies, it's starting to develop some of its weirder properties. The character of Doctor Strange first appeared during the early 1960s, and he's definitely one of the most bizarre characters that Marvel's brought to its cinematic universe yet. He's the sorcerer supreme, which means that he's the Earth's magical protector. Obviously, the studio is keeping as many details under wraps as possible. So far, we've only gotten one glimpse of Doctor Strange and a partial cast list. While the costume for the movie looks spot on, we're not so sure about all of the actors involved in the movie.
They're All Too Well Known
Aside from a few exceptions, Marvel's made a habit out of not casting big name actors. Before starring in Marvel movies, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, and Chris Pratt weren't exactly household names. This has worked out pretty great for Marvel so far, because it keeps the audience from considering the film to be "the new Will Smith movie" or something like that. Bub while Benedict Cumberbatch isn't necessarily an A-list celebrity, he's fairly well known. Then there's Rachel McAdams, Tilda Swinton, and Chiwetel Ejiofor. For a normal movie, this is great because audiences know to expect great performances. For a Marvel movie, however, this means that it's going to be harder to integrate Doctor Strange into the other movies. We're too spoiled at this point with Marvel movies. Who cares how great a superhero movie is unless it connects with seven other ones? That feels so pointless.
Too Physical
One of the things that sets Doctor Strange apart from the other Marvel heroes is that his powers aren't physical in any way. He cast spells instead of throwing punches. You don't really need six pack abs to make magic. Doctor Strange doesn't fight muggers, he explores the magical realms and defends reality against ancient beings. Based on some of the casting choices, however, it seems like the movie might be going in the wrong direction. Mads Mikkelsen proved that he can be terrifying on Hannibal, but a big part of that performance was how physically aggressive that character was. He would switch from acting like a bored therapist to a crazed animal in seconds, and it was terrifying. For his role as the film's antagonist, however, he should be able to intimidate with only a stare. Hopefully, Benedict Cumberbatch channels more Sherlock than he does Star Trek Into Darkness for this film.
Too Serious
Another aspect that makes Doctor Strange stand out is how weird a concept it is. Over the years, comic book writers have had a lot of fun with the character by throwing him into the craziest situations they could think of. He's encountered the embodiment of Time and Eternity, he's faced off against every type of troll imaginable, and he once had an adventure with Benjamin Franklin. He even casts spells by shouting silly sounding words. None of the cast members for this movie are known for being funny. That's not to say that Doctor Strange should be a comedy, but it should definitely have a sense of humor. That's the only way it'll be possible to accept a character who shouts things like "by the hoary hosts of Hoggoth!" Come on, Marvel, don't act like that isn't a hilarious sounding bunch of words.
Too Likable
Every hero has an arch-nemesis, and for Doctor Strange, that person is Baron Mordo. He studied with the same master as Strange, but he decided that using magic for evil was more fun. Mordo serves Dormammu, and ancient and powerful demonic leader. As he's usually written in the comics, Mordo is pure evil. Everything about this guy screams "villain!" He's from Transylvania, and he has a goatee without a mustache, which is the evilest form of facial hair. So who did Marvel cast to play him in the movie? Chiwetel Ejiofor, who's pretty much the nicest person ever. Mordo is supposed to be cartoonishly evil, not someone who you'd want to hang out with. Ejiofor is a great actor, but he's just way too charming. We already have Loki, we don't need another Marvel villain that we're all kind of rooting for more than the heroes.
It's Just Not Diverse Enough
A major complaint about the Marvel movies has been their seeming lack of diversity. A lot of people make the joke about how their movies all star a white guy named "Chris." Well, this problem has never been more obvious than it is with Doctor Strange (minus the part about "Chris"). This is a character who doesn't just travel the world or the galaxy, he explores entirely different realms of existence. There's no reason to have everyone he encounters to generally look the same. This movie, by necessity, should have the most diverse cast ever, but so far, that just isn't the case. It's not even that we find this offensive, it just makes the movie seem smaller than it should. This movie should look otherworldly, not like it takes place in a suburb of New Jersey.
No Amazing Character Actors
We're not saying that any of these people are bad actors, but they all always play a version of themselves. We know what we're getting for the most part. Sure, Benedict Cumberbatch might turn in performances with different levels of intensity, but you can always still tell that it's Benedict Cumberbatch. Once again, Doctor Strange should be Marvel's weirdest movie yet. It should be filled with oddball characters and the strangest creatures imaginable. In all honesty, it should blow Guardians of the Galaxy out of the water. To really work, this movie should be filled with actors who completely disappear into their roles. The filmmakers should have been hiring every great voice and cartoon actor on the planet. They have a fine cast for a good drama, but we can't really see any of these actors turning in absolutely inhuman performances.