It looks as though Morgan Freeman may be in the running to join Marvel’s Doctor Strange… but the shortlist for the role is a rather odd one.
After officially casting Benedict Cumberbatch as Earth’s Sorcerer Supreme, it looks as though Marvel is continuing the casting search for the upcoming Doctor Strange. But who will be joining him in Marvel’s first foray into the supernatural? It looks as though Strange’s long-time ally – the Ancient One – could be heading to the MCU.
But who will play this ancient sorcerer? Rumours suggest that Morgan Freeman is already in the running…
According to the Latino Review, Marvel’s shortlist for the Ancient One is a pretty mixed bag… that includes Morgan Freeman and Ken Watanabe.
“I’m hearing from multiple sources that Morgan Freeman, Bill Nighy and Ken Watanabe have been approached for the role of The Ancient One in Marvel’s ‘Doctor Strange’, which is scheduled to hit theaters November 4, 2016.”
Of course, the three frontrunners for the role couldn’t be more different. But then, perhaps that’s the point. In the comic books, the Ancient One is traditionally shown as an old, Asian sorcerer. But with Freeman and Nighy in the mix, it looks as though they may be thinking outside the box.
“It is unclear how much of a big role The Ancient One will play since it’s been said that there will be no origin story in the film,” they explain. “For those of you who don’t know who The Ancient One is, he’s the mentor of Doctor Strange, the previous ‘Sorcerer Supreme’, and – in the comics – ends up training and rejecting Mordo, a character heavily rumored to be the villain in Marvel’s adaptation.”
Clearly, the fact that the Ancient One appears at all suggests that Doctor Strange will at least hint towards the origin of Stephen Strange’s power… and it might even delve into his backstory to some degree – even if it’s not quite as directly as other comic book movies.
But who will bring the Ancient One to the big screen?
If you ask me, Ken Watanabe is the obvious choice… but that doesn’t necessarily mean that he’ll land the role. He certainly fits the bill for a more classic depiction of the character, and after seeing him in that full ageing make-up in Inception it’s obvious that he’d be up to the task of playing a wise, old sage.
Will marvel take the character in an entirely new direction? For now, we’ll have to wait and see… but both Bill Nighy and Morgan Freeman would be a great choice for a very different Ancient One.
Doctor Strange heads to cinemas on 4 November 2016.
What do you think of this odd casting choice? Who would you like to see as the Ancient One? Let us know what you think in the comments below…
