Colin Farrell Now In The Mix For ‘Doctor Strange,’ Tom Hardy Wanted For ‘X-Men Apocalypse’ [Updated]
We’re back here again. It’s been a week full of rumors, as talk swirls aboutwho will be in WB’s next DC movie,Suicide Squad, and whether or not Jena Malone is inBatman v Superman. (As it turns out,she is.) On the Marvel side the talk has all been aboutDoctor Strange. While we once thoughtJoaquin Phoenixmight sign to star in the picture, he moved on. Other names have been floated, with Keanu Reeves coming up more and more often. Another new one is in the mix:Colin Farrell. How could Farrell be Strange if healso hasa full season ofTrue Detectiveto shoot? Timing is everything.
Update:Like John Wick going after his enemies, Keanu Reeves has started to kill rumor talk aboutDoctor Strange, saying he hasn’t been approached. We have his quotes after the original story below.The Wrapreports that Marvel is “considering” Colin Farrell, and thatBenedict Cumberbatchand (still)Joaquin Phoenixare still up for the role. (More on Phoenix in a moment.) Furthermore, the site claims that the fan push forKeanu Reevesto be cast as Strange also has Marvel looking in his direction.Marvel, of course, had no comment.
Jeff Sneider at The Wrapalso tweetsabout Phoenix’s rep claiming that deal is “dead, dead, dead,” with a link referencing an official denial that Brett Ratner would make Hercules from back in 2010. Phoenix’s rep goes on to say “A couple of weeks ago they mutually decided to part ways. It was over before the New York Film Festival.”
As far as Farrell goes, it looks likeDoctor Strangewould get underway just as Farrell finishesTrue Detectiveearly next year. So things might line up nicely. But Cumberbatch is reportedly still high on Marvel’s wish list, and there’s the Ryan Gosling talk to consider as well. Jared Leto, Justin Theroux and Oscar Isaac, all of whom have been linked to the role, are pushed down as second-stringers at this point. Sorry, guys!
(Anyone who knows the drill with these casting lists and rumors at this point knows that being pushed down the list in one report doesn’t mean someone is entirely out of the running.)
Finally, there’s a point aboutTom Hardy. The Wrap mentions Hardy as a one-time contender forDoctor Strange, but that the casting seems unlikely as he’s sought forSuicide Squad. The report also says that Fox wants Hardy for the title role inX-Men: Apocalypse. (He would be Apocalypse, not the whole of the X-Men.) That’s a pretty interesting notion; Hardy might make a great Apocalypse, but at this point it seems like an idea no one should be too attached to.
Update:Keanu Reeves told theToronto Sun"I read about [the Doctor Strange rumor] . But I don’t know the character Doctor Strange; I need to go brush up. So I don’t know. It hasn’t been brought to me." In paraphrased quotes from the paper Reeves says that a good script and casting offer could get him in the film, but at this point it doesn’t seem likely.
(Of course, Reeves could be lying or downplaying things. We know Marvel is working overtime to castStrangenow, so it may not be long before we hear of the official choice. The way these denials tend to go, maybe we shouldn’t be surprised if, two weeks from now, we hear about Reeves being cast.)
Scott Derricksonis directingDoctor Strangefrom a script most recently revised byJon Spaihts. It is scheduled for release on August 19, 2025.David Ayeris directingSuicide Squad, which has a release date of August 16, 2025.
AndBryan Singeris directingX-Men: Apocalypse, which is set for release on August 01, 2025.
