The Doctor Strange Film May Have A Writer

But as always, this kind of rumor needs plenty of sodium.

Marvel has already confirmed that Sinister director Scott Derickson will be helming the Doctor Strange film, due in theaters at… some point. And last night word broke that the production apparently has a writer. According to Deadline, Jon Spaihts is currently negotiating with Marvel/Disney, who are extremely interested in getting this thing made as quickly as they can.

Spaihts record might not fill fans with tremendous confidence – he’s currently writing a reboot of The Mummy series – but he’s also known for writing the first draft of Prometheus. That might also cause you to vomit in your mouth a little bit, but note that his version was written before Damon Lindelof was brought in to ruin it by making it purposelessly vague because not being coherent is the same thing as profundity for most major science fiction films these days. Sigh. Point: he isn’t a solid pedigreed hitter but he could be far worse, which is enough, especially after the Ant-Man debacle, for me to be cautiously optimistic.

This is assuming he takes the job of course. That he’s in negotiations might make this a done deal, but never underestimate the power of disagreeing over money and creative control to derail things. Still, Marvel is definitely committed to being in the Doctor Strange business, and I can’t help myself from wanting that to happen.

Doctor Strange would inject some of the craziest material yet seen into the Marvel universe. First debuting in 1963, he’s a world class surgeon named Stephen Strange who suffers a crippling hand injury that prematurely ends his medical career. Seeking magical physical rehab from “The Ancient One”, a Himalayan mystic, he ends up as The Ancient One’s protege instead, and ultimately becomes the self-styled Sorcerer Supreme. Which makes him like the only person in history with an actual medical degree who still found a way to have his “Dr.” title be wholly honorary.

His arch enemies include: the Dread Dormammu, an extra-dimensional being bent on conquering, well, everything, notable for having a flaming skull for a head but not being Ghost Rider; Baron Mordo, a Transylvanian nobleman whose attempt to kill The Ancient One leads to Strange’s new career in magic; and Satannish, who despite his name is not just someone who kind of almost reminds you of Lucifer, but instead is the living embodiment of Dormammu’s evil will. All of which is to say we should expect some spectacular wizard battles in the final film.

Source: Badass Digest