doctor strange

Not sure if Derrickson's going with the classic Into Shamballa storyline from J.M. DeMatteis and Dan Green, or if he's just interested in the visual ambience of the piece, but either way it's a good sign.

Ant-Man may be joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe soon, but we've got another classic Marvel hero on deck eyeballing his own spot on The Avengers. Doctor Strange, The Sorcerer Supreme (Benedict Cumberbatch), is getting his own movie late in 2016, and Tilda Swinton is coming along for the ride.

We've known for a while that she was in talks to play The Ancient One, mystical mentor to Strange and his nemesis, Baron Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor). Now, in an interview with ScreenCrush, she's confirmed the casting.

"I’m a Marvel fan and I think this particular world that Doctor Strange goes into is really, really, really exciting. I’m really interested as both an actor and a fan to see what’s done in this particular world. It’s all about creativity. It’s not about everything exploding at the end. It’s about something very different. The idea of playing The Ancient One is really just too tickling. I can’t say no to that!"

Casting Tilda Swinton for The Ancient One is a pretty radical choice. Traditionally, the mystic has been portrayed as an older, Asian man which Swinton is not.

Indie Wire is reporting that Marvel just finished negotiations with the UK's Pinewood-Shepperton studios to begin filming Doctor Strange around May 2015. If the Sorcerer Supreme's shooting schedule goes ahead, we're most likely looking at a release in 2016, and since Marvel already has July 8th, 2016 booked, we don't have to speculate very hard.

Keep in mind there's been no confirmation on this release date, but if it's correct, it more than likely means an actor has been chosen to play the titular character. Has Joaquin Phoenix finally agreed? Or has another taken up the mantle? I've heard rumors around Boardwalk Empire star Jack Huston, but since he's taking over Ben-Hur, they're probably wrong.