Doctor Strange has been gestating for quite some time now. The film didn’t even get to have a Comic-Con panel shortly after it was announced that Scott Derrickson would be directing the film from a script most recently written by Jon Spaihts.

Since then, we’ve been getting a few casting rumors as to who would be playing the titular character. Joaquin Phoenix‘s name has been recently attached to the role. Edgar Ramirez and Benedict Cumberbatch have also been on the rumored shortlist. Now, a new report states that filming is scheduled to begin mid-2015 for a Summer 2016 release.

Screendaily says that Doctor Strange is scheduled for a July 8, 2016 release. It just so happens that this is one of the Marvel Mystery Movie dates that Marvel had already locked down in the past.

Marvel has always had a fascinating casting process. How they managed to nab Robert Redford for the role of Alexander Pierce in Captain America: The Winter Soldier is beyond me. But their casting process has always remained secretive, and just like a film’s synopsis, we won’t know anything about the it until Marvel wants to let us know.

Sure there are rumors and speculation, and that’s fun to read. But Marvel hasn’t disappointed us yet, so the person they are said to be talking to for the title role in Doctor Strange may impress you. Collider says that Marvel is now in final talks with Joaquin Phoenix to play Doctor Strange. Benedict Cumberbatch and Justin Theroux were among names on the short list for the role as well, but it looks like Marvel may be settling on Phoenix. Hit the jump to learn more.

There will be a long lull of Marvel Studios’ films between Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers: Age of Ultron. In between that lull we could expect to see trailers and clips for the latter film. So while some of us are waiting for the highly anticipated Avengers sequel to hit theaters next May, others are thinking beyond that date.

In addition to Age of Ultron, we will also see Ant-Man opening in July of next year, which will be followed up by Captain America 3 on May 6, 2016; followed by an untitled film; followed by another untitled film on May 5, 2017; then the release of Guardians of the Galaxy 2 on July 17, 2017, and another mystery release in November 2017.

Marvel has carefully coordinated their plan of attack by releasing up to two to three films a year. But it is 2018 we should all be watching out for. 2012 marked the release of The Avengers, and it’ll be three years since its release when Age of Ultron hits theaters next year. So does that mean we will have to wait another three years before Avengers 3 hits after Age of Ultron? Hit the jump to find out.

Marvel Studios has been making significant progress with Doctor Strange in recent weeks, signing up Scott Derrickson (Sinister) to direct and Jon Spaihts (Prometheus) to write the script.

The title role of the Sorcerer Supreme has been linked at various times to Johnny Depp, Jared Leto, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Tom Hardy, but the studio has yet to lock down an appropriate actor to lead this project that might be a more difficult sell with audiences than even Guardians of the Galaxy. One person who can willingly admit to talking about a potential role in Doctor Strange is Édgar Ramírez, the Venezuelan actor who recently stepped into the role originally cast with Gerard Butler in the upcoming Point Break remake.

With the Ant-Man controversy well behind us, Dr. Strange having found a new director, and Guardians of the Galaxy hitting theaters in six weeks, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige is making the rounds promoting the various titles. Feige was over at CineEurope, and talked to TotalFilm about the state of Ant-Man, what we can expect to see in Dr. Strange, and where the Guardians could be headed on their next adventure.

Hit the jump for more.

Marvel Studios has found the man to bring the Sorcerer Supreme to the biggest of screens as Scott Derrickson has signed on to direct their long-in-development Phase Three film Dr. Strange, based on the classic comic hero created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko back in 1963.

To snag this coveted assignment Derrickson beat out directors such as Jonathan Levine (Warm Bodies) and Mark Andrews (Pixar’s Brave). His past credits include The Exorcism of Emily Rose, Sinister, and the 2008 remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still. Derrickson also has the screenplays for the forgettable horror sequels Urban Legends: Final Cut and Hellraiser: Inferno to his name.

Greetings, true believers. BAADASSSSS! has returned with the third edition of The 10 Best Unproduced Comic Book Movie Scripts. Get it while it’s still available because there will be no second printings.

If you haven’t checked out my bloated, unwieldy nerdgasm of an introduction to the series as well as a complete week-by-week breakdown of clues to each entry on this list you may do so here.

For this week’s entry I have chosen one of the more lesser-known unrealized superhero comic-to-film translations that also marked a rare moment in the history of civilization when an icon of the comics industry collaborated with a fearless guerrilla warrior of independent filmmaking to create their own magical work of cinematic nirvana.

Dr. Strange by Alex Cox and Stan Lee.

I think it has been enough time for all of us to come back down to Earth after taking the magical carpet ride that was The Avengers this past summer. The second phase of Marvel Films’ master plan to conquer the world of comic book blockbusters and make DC Comics their simpering puppet is well under way with Iron Man 3 first out of the gate in May, Thor: The Dark World in production now with a release set for this November, Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Guardians of the Galaxy fast approaching the start of filming in anticipation of their theatrical bows next year, and The Avengers 2…. well I’m sure the production offices are open and someone’s paying the electric and water bills.

Obviously people are now looking to the future and the elusive Phase 3 of the Mighty Marvel Movie Universe to see what the studio that is reaping the riches from bringing their four-color classics to the big screen the way they were meant to be seen has in store for us once The Avengers 2 inevitably reduces us all to quivering nerd puddles come May 2015. The only title in Phase 3 that has been announced so far is Ant-Man, which has Edgar Wright sitting pretty in the director’s chair and his frequent collaborator (and writer and director of 2011’s awesome sci-fi adventure Attack the Block) Joe Cornish co-writing the script with Wright.

Greetings! It’s Adam Frazier aka FamousMonster and it’s time for another transmission from Skull-Face Island. As always I’m joined by former FREE SAFETY for your GOTHAM ROGUES, David Allen! And last week’s co-host, this week’s producer, and next week’s messiah… Tim Grant.

Today on the Show: We talk about Craig Zobel’s latest film, Compliance, as well as William Friedkin’s Killer Joe, starring Matthew McConaughey. We’ll also find out just where in the HELL David was last week and flip the switch on the Geek-O-Matic News Machine. This week’s discussions include Y: The Last Man, Viggo Mortensen as Dr. Strange and all kinds of fun stuff!

Also, we’ll play The Sequel Game – and if we sound sleepy and drunk that’s because we are. Tim bartered two seasons of Felicity to the natives for some 217-proof Skull-Face Fire Water that had us all experiencing hallucinations of polar bears and smoke monsters.

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Rumors are always fun. Sometimes they turn into something, sometimes they prove to be nothing at all. Today comes an intriguing little rumor (or rumors) involving the Marvel universe, but it’s not one that’s been created out of nowhere. This one might just have a bit of backing.

According to Roger Wardell, who’s been sharing supposed insider Marvel bits via Twitter—many of which have turned out to be accurate or make plenty of sense—Marvel is in negotiations with Viggo Mortensen for an unspecified role in one of their “Phase 2” movies, which are the group of films that will lead to The Avengers 2. He later stated somewhat cryptically that there is something “Strange” about Thor 2, which is titled Thor: The Dark World, possibly indicating the inclusion of a one Dr. Strange.