“It became clear to me that Joaquin didn’t really belong in that movie.”

Doctor Strange looking intently at something off camera in Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness.Image Via Disney

THE BIG PICTURE

 Joaquin Phoenix was considered for the role of Doctor Strange, but he and director Scott Derrickson agreed he didn’t belong in the MCU.


 Initially having a scheduling conflict, Benedict Cumberbatch was eventually cast as Doctor Strange after Derrickson convinced Marvel to shift shooting schedules.
 Phoenix’s specific acting goals didn’t align with the MCU vision, leading to the decision to cast Cumberbatch as Sorcerer Supreme instead.

Almost a decade ago, when the MCU was booming and Phase 3 was all the rage, Marvel Studios was looking for an actor that would convincingly embody the character who is now one of the most popular superheroes from the franchise: Doctor Strange. At that time, Joaquin Phoenix (Joker: Folie à Deux) seemed like a shoo-in for the role, and the Oscar winner got pretty far into the process of starring in the blockbuster. But then… he left. What happened? In a lengthy interview with SlashFilm, Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson talked about the process of finding the perfect actor and revealed what went down with Phoenix.

During the interview, Derrickson revealed that, as excited as he was with Phoenix, he always wanted Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock) to play the Sorcerer Supreme. The trouble was, there was a scheduling conflict and Cumberbatch wouldn’t be available to film during the period that Marvel Studios set up for the movie. And, as much as Phoenix liked the idea of becoming Stephen Strange, he had reservations about signing on to a multiple-movie contract with Disney.

That didn’t stop Phoenix from meeting Derrickson and listening to what the filmmaker had to say. Derrickson told SlashFilm that they “spent a couple of long afternoons” together and that he was “really impressed” with Phoenix’s approach to the role and the actor’s thought process. Derrickson even goes on to say that he thought Phoenix was starting to open up to the possibility of becoming the face of Doctor Strange.

Joaquin Phoenix “Never Belonged in the MCU,” Scott Derrickson States

Derrickson’s mind was still playing with the idea of Cumberbatch coming on, though, and as much as he loved Phoenix, some things were becoming clear to both of them:

“I met with a bunch of actors, and Joaquin was the one that I spent the most time with. As we continued to talk, it became clear to me that Joaquin didn’t really belong in that movie and probably never belonged in the MCU. He’s a very specific guy with very specific goals as an actor, and a very specific way of performing. I think it became clear to both of us that this might not be a good fit, really is what it came down to.”

It’s not hard to fathom the kind of involvement that Phoenix wanted to have with the superhero world. After watching Joker, it becomes clear that the actor was interested in something that offered him a lot more wiggle room to try and play around, without necessarily getting too attached to the canon of the character. As for Doctor Strange, Derrickson eventually convinced Marvel Studios and Disney to shift the whole shooting schedule in order to accommodate Cumberbatch, and it’s pretty easy to tell that it was the right move.