The overwhelming number of comic book movies already released and in development has meant that a pretty significant percentage of major actors working today are, in one way or another, involved with the big screen adaptations of DC and Marvel properties. Despite being one of the most popular fantasy casting choices for a number of roles, however, Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch has managed to resist the pull of superhero movies… until now.

That’s not to say that his involvement hasn’t been rumored; for months now there has been talk of Cumberbatch potentially playing Doctor Strange in Marvel Studios’ upcoming movie about the superpowered sorcerer, and the most recent reports put Cumberbatch in the running for the lead role alongside Colin Farrell and Keanu Reeves.

Now it sounds like Marvel is about to welcome Cumberbatch to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as both Variety and Deadline are reporting that Cumberbatch is in talks for the role and that he is “the studio’s choice” to play Stephen Vincent Strange in the film, which will be directed by Scott Derrickson (Sinister).

This isn’t the first time that an actor has got close to taking the Doctor Strange role; for a while it seemed that Joaquin Phoenix was all set to make a deal with Marvel, but those plans fell through. With that said, Deadline was confident enough in the solidity of the current talks to go with the headline “Benedict Cumberbatch to Play Doctor Strange,” adding in the body of the article, “I expect this deal to make.”

Other actors who have reportedly been considered for the role include Ewan McGregor, Ryan Gosling, Matthew McConaughey, Ethan Hawke, Jared Leto and Jake Gyllenhaal, but Cumberbatch seems like an ideal fit and it’s easy to see why he would be Marvel’s top choice.

Let us know what you think of this casting choice in the comments, and we’ll keep you updated on Doctor Strange as casting talks continue.

Doctor Strange is expected to release in theaters on July 8, 2016.

http://screenrant.com/doctor-strange...rbatch-marvel/