Rumor: Marvel Wants Jared Leto to Star in ‘Doctor Strange’

Just yesterday it was announced that Scott Derrickson ('The Day the Earth Stood Still' and the upcoming 'Deliver Us From Evil') would direct Marvel's 'Doctor Strange' movie. While the director has just signed on and the script isn't ready yet, Marvel may already know who they want to star in the film: recent Oscar-winner Jared Leto.

The report comes to us from Badass Digest who say they have heard that "Marvel likes...Jared Leto for Stephen Strange." They do note they aren't sure how recent that interest is - it could be that Marvel is currently talking to Leto, or it could be that they talked to Leto months ago about the role and he passed.

If true, it's an, uh, interesting choice. With 'Dallas Buyers Club' Leto proved himself to be a formidable talent, but we're not sure the part of the Sorcerer Supreme is right for him. Perhaps more important, is whether Leto feels that 'Doctor Strange' is right for him.

After his Oscar win, he spoke often about returning to music and, true to form, he'll be touring with 30 Seconds to Mars through October. That leaves him largely unavailable for the next five months and we'll guess he'd want some time off after the tour wraps up later this year. We're not exactly sure when Marvel was planning on starting production on 'Doctor Strange' but it's possible that Leto's schedule may preclude him from taking the role.

The casting of the Oscar-winning actor would be a departure for Marvel, who has tended to cast toward the lower-profile/less-expensive side like Chris Pratt, Chris Hemsworth and Chris Evans (also, apparently guys named "Chris"). If we had to fancast the role, we like the idea of Pedro Pascal, currently seen this season on 'Game of Thrones' as the Red Viper. He's got the look and charm necessary for the role and, while playing Oberyn Martell, actually turned a rather boring character from the books and made him a lot of fun. If Marvel really is looking for a Tony Stark type role, he could certainly work.

What would you think about Jared Leto as Doctor Strange? If not him, who do you suggest? Let us know in the comments below.