Benedict Cumberbatch is the studio’s choice for the superhero Doctor Strange

Marvel has choosen the actor for superhero Doctor Strange. Benedict Cumberbatch is the choice of studio , and negotiations are about to begin. The news comes after talks with Joaquin Phoenix at the Comic-Con went south, and Marvel went back to the drawing board.

Benedict Cumberbatch is in the Oscar hunt this year for The Imitation Game, the Alan Turing biopic that the Weinstein Co is priming for a November 21 release. His hot streak has included winning the Emmy for playing Sherlock Holmes on the BBC/PBS hit Sherlock.

Phoenix has never had a contract, and Marvel went up quickly with other actors to play Doctor Strange in an independent film.