Is Joseph Gordon-Levitt Marvel’s DOCTOR STRANGE?

There are few actors as in demand for comic book movies, at least in the film journalist’s eyes, than Joseph Gordon-Levitt. It’s understandable. He does seem to have a lot of geek cred by starring in sci-fi/geek properties ranging from 3rd Rock From the Sun, Inception, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra to Looper, and he already has one comic book film, The Dark Knight Rises, on his resume and another one, Sin City 2: A Dame to Kill For, to be added next year. And he was briefly rumored to be in the running for the lead in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy and Batman in Justice League.

This all lends an air of credibility when Latino Review’s El Mayimbe (yeah, him again) states that Marvel is considering him for the lead role in Doctor Strange. Of course, a resume and wishful thinking does not make a rumor true, and I think even El Mayimbe knows that, because he undergoes the most comical backpedaling ever in the same article where he announces the rumor:

Now at press time, we are not saying that an offer has been made, that talks have even engaged and who knows, Levitt and his team are probably unaware, BUT we are hearing that Marvel execs internally are discussing that Levitt is who they figure would be ideal.

In other words, don’t ask JGL’s people for confirmation, because this scoop is so raw not even they know about it! Oh, brother.

Of course, Gordon-Levitt being discussed is probably true. He is an actor in the appropriate age range, he has a lot of heat now but is still within Marvel’s range of affordability, and Marvel already supposedly thought of him for Guardians. But just because Marvel is “discussing” him as a possible Doctor Strange doesn’t mean that they aren’t discussing other names or that they are even at the point where they are willing to make an offer.

I don’t know what to think about Gordon-Levitt as the character. I mean, he’s got the look down. Stick a Fu Manchu mustache on him and he’ll look like he walked off the page. And Gordon-Levitt is a great actor. But he plays younger than 32. I always envisioned Stephen Strange to look and carry himself as being older.

I’d say we’d know more at Saturday’s Marvel panel at San Diego Comic-Con, but if Marvel was ready to make an announcement on casting, there would be a lot more heat to this rumor. But maybe we’ll hear something about the Doctor Strange film then.