Update: As I'm sure most of you have heard by now, Marvel has cast actor Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange for their upcoming film. While I was hoping Nicolas Cage would get the part, I knew he never had a fighting chance. Still, to be perfectly honest, I think Benedict Cumberbatch is a wonderful choice. He hadn't really been in talks to play the part at the time of my campaign, but if he had been, he would have deservedly been one of my top candidates. Cumberbatch is a gifted and charming young actor, and I have no doubt that he will do the part justice. He's well on his way to becoming one of the movie industry's leading men and I'm very happy for him.
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:
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:
5 Minute Movie Guy
12.1.14
12.1.14
Hey guys! Today I'm launching my first ever Twitter campaign! It may be completely ludicrous to think this proposal could ever become a reality, but I'm taking my best shot at it. Perhaps you've heard the news that Joaquin Phoenix (Gladiator, Walk the Line, Her) was in talks for the role of Marvel's Doctor Strange. Well, that deal fell through. Phoenix has never done a sequel in his career and was reluctant to sign onto a multi-film deal. While most actors would be jumping at the bit for an extensive contract with Marvel, it seems he didn't want to be chained down to the Marvel Universe. In his absence, I thought long and hard about other possible choices. That's when I came to my conclusion: It has to be Nicolas Cage! Doctor Strange must be played by Cage!
I want Marvel to cast Nicolas Cage as Doctor Strange. That's the entire point of my #MakeCageStrange campaign. It is to encourage Marvel to consider Nicolas Cage for the role. I know Cage is not the most well-received actor in Hollywood these days, given the plethora of bad movies under his belt, but hear me out on this one because I think I might just be able to convince you that he's a perfect candidate for the coveted role.
As you may or may not know, Doctor Strange is getting his own stand-alone movie in 2016. Let me emphasize that this is a big role to fill. Strange is going to have to be able to stand on his own with the big boys like Iron Man and Captain America. Not only that, but Doctor Strange will be involved in several other Marvel movies from here on out, so making the right casting choice is crucial. Doctor Strange is a lesser-known Marvel hero who has not yet been introduced into the Marvel movie universe. In order to achieve success, I believe this role will require three things, and they are as follows:
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
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
With Joaquin out of the picture, the race for Strange is heating up by the day. More and more actors are being considered for the part. I'm going to reveal who the top contenders are and give my opinion on whether or not I think they would be up to par. The panel of candidates includes Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyer's Club, Interstellar), Keanu Reeves (The Matrix, Speed), Ryan Gosling (The Notebook, Drive), Jake Gyllenhaal (Donnie Darko, Brokeback Mountain), Jared Leto (Dallas Buyer's Club, Requiem for a Dream), Ethan Hawke (Boyhood, Training Day), Ewan McGregor (Star Wars, Big Fish) and Oscar Isaac (Inside Llewyn Davis, Drive).
Those are currently the top 8 choices for the role of Doctor Strange. As you can see, Nicolas Cage is not among yet them, so I'm trying to change all that with this campaign. In the meantime, let's break down these contestants. Right off the bat, I can tell you that very few of them fall into my recipe for success. I would argue that Matthew McConaughey, Keanu Reeves, Ryan Gosling, and maybe Jake Gyllenhaal are the only ones with serious star power. That's not to discredit the other guys in any way. I'm not trying to hurt anybody's feelings here. Sure, they're all good actors, but is everybody going to rush out to see a Doctor Strange movie starring the guy who played Obi-Wan in the Star Wars prequels? Probably not. Jared Leto and Oscar Isaac are both very hot right now, but casting them is too much of a gamble. If it wasn't a stand-alone Doctor Strange movie, I'd be more open to it, but that's just not the case. I like Ethan Hawke, but he's never carried a blockbuster by himself before, and I just don't think he's intimidating enough for the character. Sorry guys, you're all cut. If this was a supporting role, maybe you'd have a better chance.
That leaves McConaughey, Keanu, Gosling, and Gyllenhaal. I think most people would argue that Keanu Reeves doesn't have the acting chops to pull off the role. I'm reluctant to agree, but the point is certainly noted. People aren't going to be quick to buy into Keanu playing a brain surgeon turned sorcerer. I'm a big fan of Keanu, but when he acts weird, I find it to be more uncomfortable and awkward than interesting. I'm crossing him off the list. Matthew McConaughey is probably the most sought out actor in the world right now, but can anyone seriously see him playing Doctor Strange? I'd love to see him in a Marvel movie, but I just don't think this particular character fits him. I don't doubt his ability to make it work, but I'm ruling him out.
Only 2 actors remain; Ryan Gosling and Jake Gyllenhaal. Honestly, I'm skeptical about both of them. I think each of them could probably do the character justice, but I'm just not sure the film would be a hit. Gosling's star power comes mainly from being a heartthrob, but he definitely broadened his fan base with Drive. Gyllenhaal has had a successful career, although his blockbuster film Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time was a major box office bomb. Of the two, I'd rather see Gyllenhaal in the role, and since he's looking like a strong Best Actor contender this year with Nightcrawler, I think that could certainly work in his favor.
At this point, you might be asking what Nicolas Cage has that these guys lack. Well, to be honest, I think the guy is just a master at being weird. "Strange" is the most appropriate way I can describe him as an actor and even as a person. Cage is strange in the most fascinating and peculiar ways, and that carries over to many of his roles. He's crazy and he's odd, but he's also a whole lot of fun. There's just something about his no-holds-barred approach to acting. Love him or hate him, he's always entertaining, and he's always up for anything. He's also arguably a more bankable and well-known star than any of the other choices (aside from perhaps Keanu Reeves). Cage as Strange is the kind of casting that people would just have to see to believe. The kind of move that makes you simultaneously go "Oh no they didn't!" and "Oh my God, I gotta see this!"
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.
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.
Still need convincing? With Cage's acting ability, I am confident he could manage to capture all the subtle nuances of Strange's character, and heck, Nicolas Cage even looks the part. Good ol' Nicky Blue Eyes has quite a resemblance to Doctor Strange, and unlike several of the other candidates, he seems to be about the same age. Plus, it would be another role where Nicolas Cage would have awesomely bad hair, and who doesn't want more of that amazingness? I would love to be able to see Doctor Strange fly off the handle in fabulous Nicolas Cage fashion. After all, let's face it. Doctor Strange would be his best if he was... UNCAGED!
@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 Nicolas Cage needs this. We need this. And Marvel, you need this. Make it happen! If you want to show your support, spread the word. Retweet and favorite this tweet on Twitter if you can. Also, I added a picture on Facebook that's embedded above. Please like it and share it, to help me reach my goal of 1,000 likes! I appreciate all of your support! As I said before, the list of candidates is growing by the day. Now is the time to act. Help me push this, and perhaps together, we can #MakeCageStrange!
5 Minute Movie Guy
10.20.14
10.20.14
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