The True Story Behind Wes Craven's Failed Doctor Strange Movie

Derrickson was hired after going above-and-beyond during the selection process.

In his own words, he spent an "obnoxious" amount of his own money to write and storyboard a 12-page scene with accompanying concept art, which then formed part of a 90-minute pitch to Marvel Studios' top brass.

His commitment paid off, and as an added bonus, the scene in question (Strange fighting in the astral plane while his physical body lies on a hospital bed) was bought by the studio and used in the movie. Neat.

The casting process was equally rigorous, with Tom Hardy, Oscar Isaac, Jared Leto, and Joaquin Phoenix all on Marvel Studios' wishlist to play the title role.

Phoenix came closest, with negotiations reportedly getting quite far along before the actor got cold feet, not wanting to commit to a multi-picture deal, and also having reservations about working in such a fast-paced, green-screen-heavy environment.

Marvel Studios then moved on to its other top pick: Sherlock and Star Trek Into Darkness star Benedict Cumberbatch. He was officially cast in December 2014 after months of rumours, including a rather funny interview with IGN, where he failed miserably at pretending he knew nothing about the role.

Fortunately, after all his years in the MCU, his lying has got much better.

Doctor Strange finally opened in cinemas on 25 October 2016 (4 November in the U.S.), receiving positive reviews from critics, and grossing $677 million against an estimated $165 million budget - an unqualified box-office success.

The character then joined his MCU colleagues in Thor: Ragnarok, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame, proving a vital player in our heroes' mission to stop the mighty Thanos and save the universe. He also co-starred in Spider-Man: No Way Home, which grossed an astonishing $1.8 billion (making it the sixth highest-grossing movie of all time) during the pandemic recovery era.

As for what Strange's MCU future holds? Well, if the trailers for Multiverse of Madness are anything to go by, certainly a lot of chaos. With only a few weeks to go before that movie hits cinemas, we don't have long to wait to see it all play out.