The Emmy award-winning star of stage and screen Benedict Cumberbatch appears to be in final negotiations to add another title to his already impressive list of characters: Marvel Superhero. Cumberbatch is reportedly Marvel’s choice to play the title character in the Doctor Strange standalone film due in theaters for 2016, according to Deadline.

After a failed attempt to land Joaquin Phoenix over the Summer, Marvel’s team went back to the drawing board in the hunt for someone to play the Sorcerer Supreme. Names like Jared Leto and Tom Hardy were instantly brought back into contention, but fans spoke out strongly at San Diego Comic-Con back in the Summer and were ever so hopeful that Cumberbatch would land the role.

Even Benedict himself was skeptical about the possibility of landing the gig when he was interviewed by MTV and asked about his chances of working with Marvel. Here he is addressing rumors back in July:

“As far as I’m aware, even if that was the case, it couldn’t work out because I’m doing a little play called “˜Hamlet’ in London,” he said. “So I don’t think I could even if that was in the cards. It sounds like a fantastic project. It’s a shame if I miss out, but who knows?”

Well, with today’s story it sounds like he’ll get to work on that “fantastic project” after all. Final talks are set to begin soon so there is still some details to figure out but if all the stars and magical forces align right, we will see Doctor Stephen Strange on screen portrayed by one of the hottest actors working right now. The movie will be directed by Scott Derrickson off a script by Jon Spaihts with Marvel’s Kevin Feige producing.

Doctor Strange, for those unaware, is a neurosurgeon who takes the role of Sorcerer Supreme in order to defend humanity against all matters of mystical, magical enemies. He was created in the 1960s by Marvel legends Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.

Look for Doctor Strange on film in theaters the Summer of 2016.

[Source: Deadline]