Marvel may have finally found their their Doctor Strange lead, with actor Benedict Cumberbatch reportedly set to star in the film.

Variety now reports that Cumberbatch is going to be Marvel’s man in Doctor Strange, and honestly we just want something to be confirmed by the studio. We’ve always felt Cumberbatch was the best actor for the role, not just because of his massive fandom here, but because he should be able to play a supreme being of sorts, with neurosurgeon intelligence and magical abilities.

Marvel’s negotiations with Joaquin Phoenix couldn’t be worked out due to the number of films the actor was going to have to sign on for. According to sources Cumberbatch’s deal is “contingent upon his schedule,” which will allow him to continue work on the Sherlock series for BBC.

The positive to Cumberbatch joining Marvel’s Doctor Strange is that he’ll bring in a large fanbase to what is essentially an unknown character to the general public. This is probably something that the studio is banking on, and we don’t blame them for picking the actor who should bring some gravitas to the character as well.

Writers Thomas Dean Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer are currently penning the script for Doctor Strange and we imagine Cumberbatch was very high on the list to play the film’s key role.

Marvel are announcing some news tomorrow at an event in Los Angeles, so we wouldn’t be surprised to hear them announce Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange during tomorrow’s announcement.

Let us know what you think of the excellent Benedict Cumberbatch playing Doctor Strange in Marvel’s film adaptation which is set to hit theaters in 2016.