I had a lot of fun with this campaign, as I'm sure you can all tell. While I recognize the absurdity of it all, I was sincere in my belief that Cage would have been a great choice. I think it would have been a lot of fun to see. With Cumberbatch, I expect we'll get a much darker and more sinister film, which I worry might not mesh as well with Marvel's typically light-hearted movies. Though I for one wish Marvel movies would take things a little more seriously, so perhaps this will be a step in a more favorable direction.
I'd like to thank you all for your support. I appreciate your help in promoting this campaign, and I'm glad many of you enjoyed it. I think the highlight for me was the commonly repeated reaction of "But he's already strange!" Haha, that he is. Nicolas Cage, I love ya, and I wish you could have seen this. I'd love to know what you thought about the whole idea.
Well, Marvel, it's your barbecue, and it tastes good, so I'm just gonna leave this right here:
12.1.14
First and foremost, it has to be someone famous. This is not the time to bring in newcomers. This needs to be a well-known actor who has established themselves over a successful career. Given that most people aren't very familiar with Doctor Strange, it's going to require some star power to get people out to theaters to see it. Nic Cage has that power. He's a household name and his big movies draw in big crowds. Sure, he's had a lot of box office duds of late, but that's because he's been signing onto a lot of dumb movies. This one won't be. If Marvel can turn the barely known Guardians of the Galaxy into the biggest movie of the year, they can make Doctor Strange a huge hit if they make the right moves.
Secondly, it needs to be someone who can actually act. Doctor Strange is a complex character, so star power alone won't be enough. Oh, you think Nicolas Cage can't act? Tell that to his shiny, gold Oscar. He's a two-time Academy Award nominee and four-time Golden Globe nominee. Yes, he's had plenty of hilariously over-the-top performances in bad movies, but whether or not most of us care to admit it, Nicolas Cage is a talented actor. I happen to think his eccentric acting style would be ideal for a character like Strange. Personally, I kind of like Cage's crazy, unique style. At the very least, he's always fun to watch. Nicolas Cage playing a crazy, supreme sorcerer? It sounds to me like a role he was born to play.
Lastly, it needs to be someone you can count on doing several films. We know how these Marvel movies work. This isn't going to be a one-and-done character. We're going to see him several other times, and therefore Marvel shouldn't take a gamble with this casting choice because it's someone they're going to be stuck with for the next 5-10 years. As crazy as it may sound, I think Nicolas Cage is actually a pretty safe bet. He's an established actor, he works well with others, and he's done plenty of sequels in his career. I think he could clearly use the work too, as having such a steady line of work would keep him from doing so many lousy movies. I say it's time we give Cage a chance. Who's with me? #MakeCageStrange
Mel Gibson aside, nobody does crazy better than Nic Cage. Surely he would take the role very seriously, knowing how big these Marvel movies are. I think he would even surprise a lot of people with a stand-out performance. I'd like to make it clear that I am well aware that Nicolas Cage already plays Ghost Rider. However, history shows that this does not matter to Marvel. Chris Evans was Johnny Storm in Fantastic Four before he was Captain America, and Ryan Reynolds was Green Lantern before he was Deadpool. The key difference here is that Ghost Rider exists in his own Marvel universe, so there's no chance of these characters crossing paths. That should in no way be an issue. Plus it just means Marvel already has experience working with him.
@Marvel We want Nicolas Cage as Doctor Strange! Make Cage Strange! http://t.co/jULQkm8oN0 #MakeCageStrange #DrStrange pic.twitter.com/XJJfrF64RX
— 5 Minute Movie Guy (@5minutemovieguy) October 20, 2014
10.20.14