The rumors of Rachel McAdams potential entrée into the Marvel Cinematic Universe are true. Although the True Detective star isn’t officially tied to any Marvel projects just yet, there is interest on both sides for her to play the female lead in Doctor Strange.
During a recent interview with the Los Angeles Times, McAdams confirmed that she’s in talks for the Marvel role, yet she made it clear that nothing is set in stone. “It’s still super-early days, and I don’t know where that’s gonna go, if it’s gonna go anywhere at all,” she said. Were she to officially sign on, she’d join Benedict Cumberbatch, who will play Dr. Strange himself, and Tilda Swinton as The Ancient One.
Doctor Strange will focus on Dr. Stephen Strange, a neurosurgeon who trains in mystic arts after suffering severe injuries to both his hands. He becomes the Sorcerer Supreme, taking on the responsibility of defending Earth against magical dangers. In the comics he’s also an Avenger, so at some point in the future, his character (and perhaps McAdams’ too?) will likely share the screen with fellow Marvel heroes.
Though Doctor Strange would be McAdams’ first superhero flick, she’s familiar with action, having starred in Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, and has also dealt with crimes as a police officer on True Detective. Most recently, she appeared in Southpaw as the ill-fated wife of a boxer (played by Jake Gyllenhaal). Next up for the prolific actress is Spotlight, a drama about a team of investigative journalists covering the Massachusetts Catholic sex abuse scandal. Clearly, she’s versatile.
First developed by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko in the 1960s, a Doctor Strange film adaptation has long been in the works. The first draft of the script was written by Thomas Dean Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer, who were hired by Marvel Studios in 2010. The final script will now be written by Jon Spaihts; Scott Derrickson is directing and Kevin Feige will produce.
At long last, Doctor Strange is set for release on November 4, 2016.
