Doctor Strange is an upcoming American superhero film based on the character of Doctor Strange of Marvel Comics. It is going to be directed by Scott Derrickson and will be produced by marvel Studios. The film will be distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.
Benedict Cumberbatch has been roped in by the filmmakers to star in the lead role of the film, that is in the character of Doctor Strange itself. Other members of the film’s cast include– Tilda Swinton as The Ancient One who is a mentor of Doctor Strange, Chiwetel Ejiofor as Baron Mordo and Michael Stuhlbarg as Nicodemus West, a rival scientist of Doctor Strange.
Also to star in the movie are- Rachel McAdams and Mads Mikkelsen, however no specific details regarding the characters of these two actors are available as of yet. Just recently it was reported that “The Martian” famed actor, Benedict Wong has been roped in by the filmmakers to portray the character of Doctor Strange’s sidekick in the upcoming movie.
Benedict Wong is set to take on the character of Wong, the sidekick of Doctor Strange in the movie. A renowned website reported with a hint of humor that the casting of Benedict Wong as Wong is perfect because the actor shares his first name with the lead actor of the film, Benedict Cumberbatch and also because his last name is same as that of the character that he will portray in the movie!
As for the character history of Wong, it is known that he hails from an ancient family of monks. He is appointed as the assistant of Doctor Strange by The Ancient One. He is tasked with accompanying Stephen Strange to United States and act as a savior to the world when various supernatural events unfold.
Wong has vast knowledge in both martial arts and the occult and he is the one who has to keep the body of Doctor Strange under close supervision when his spirit leaves it and wanders off to alternate dimensions. The character of Wong first made an appearance back in 1963 in the comics “Strange Tales” #110.
Initially, the character was portrayed simply as a sidekick to Doctor Strange who served the purpose of his housekeeper, chef, mechanic, etc. However, over the years, this character gained importance and is currently viewed as a powerful personality who possess the capability to come to Doctor Strange’s aid in his studies and even in his fights.
Benedict Wong who is 45, is elder than Benedict Cumberbatch who is 39 and reportedly, this is going to be one of the very few instances when the character of Wong is portrayed as being elder to Doctor Strange.
Some fans are assuming that the character of Wong in the upcoming movie will have an essence of the character of Alfred from Batman Comics. Like Alfred, he will act as an older and wiser mentor to Doctor Strange, guiding him in the correct path whenever required.
Benedict Wong recently won kudos from both fans and critics for the portrayal of his character of an overworked scientist in one of the biggest films of the past year- The Martian, directed by Ridley Scott. The actor is currently busy playing the character of Kublai Khan in Marco Polo, a Netflix costume drama.
The first look photo of the film was released sometime back by EW. The photo showed Benedict Cumberbatch in the Doctor Strange costume. The actor had put on the costume for the magazine photo shoot and it was reported that this was one of the very first instances of him trying on the superhero costume.
Some more photos of the upcoming film were recently released by EW which features Benedict Cumberbatch and also gives fans a glimpse at the concept art of the film.
Doctor Strange will be released in UK on October 28, 2016 and in the US on November 4, 2016.