Marvel Can't Close the Deal with Joaquin Phoenix for 'Doctor Strange'

Joaquin Phoenix was supposed to walk out on stage at Comic-Con to be announced as the actor playing Doctor Strange. Marvel Studios had hoped to sign Phoenix in time to announce him during their panel, but they couldn't seal the deal in time. And they still can't.

Evidently, the delay in signing Phoenix goes a bit beyond the inability to hammer out a contract. The main problems "go beyond the basic fact that Phoenix is balking at the heavy multi-picture contract: Joaquin Phoenix literally doesn't know if he can work on this kind of movie. He's a great actor, and he can play the role. But the Marvel Studios blockbuster machine is full of pre-viz and fight-viz and green screen and massive reshoots. It's not a world that's as comfortable for him, and he's just not certain he can do it. ... If Marvel can get past any issues Phoenix has with the larger contract they still have to get over the doubt this terrific actor has about working in this larger environment."

While we really don’t know much at all about the film’s story, the role of Dr. Stephen Strange seems to be somewhat less than specific when it comes to age. However, the doctor's age clearly isn’t important, but knowing Marvel Studios, locking down an actor for multiple pictures is. This aspect is likely the one hurdle keeping Phoenix from signing, not the special effects or reshoots or storyline.

Doctor Strange currently has no release date, but is set to begin production early in 2015.

Screen Daily reports that Marvel’s next big venture, Doctor Strange, is in final negotations to shoot at Pinewood-Shepperton in the UK, the home for this year’s colossal hit Guardians of the Galaxy as well as next year’s release, Avengers: Age of Ultron. The outlet mentions that preparations are being made to assemble the crew in late 2014/early 2015 with an eye to officially start production in May 2015.

Though no official release date has been set for the film, as some other sites are reporting, this time table for production would lead one to believe that Doctor Strange will land on the July 8, 2016 release date that Marvel previously set, but this has not been confirmed. Check back here for more details on Doctor Strange as we learn them.

After working their hardest to try to convince Joaquin Phoenix that he’s the right fit for DOCTOR STRANGE, it appears Marvel Studios has moved on after coming to terms with the fact that that marriage isn’t going to happen, and according to my sources, they’ve already found their long-term rebound. Ethan Hawke is their new guy, having offered him the role on Friday. I hear Hawke accepted the job over the weekend, and things have quickly progressed into contract talks, with a six-picture deal being what Marvel is hoping to lock him into.