Joaquin Phoenix is now out of contention for the lead in Doctor Strange

Looks like there is a reason those Jack Huston and Ethan Hawke rumors have been appearing despite the news that negotiations with Joaquin Phoenix were in the final stages for the lead in DOCTOR STRANGE. Turns out they weren't as close as we all thought. Deadline is reporting that after a month of serious talks, everything has fallen apart and Phoenix is no longer in contention for the role.

Their sources also claim that the Ethan Hawke stories have no legitimacy but did not debunk the possibility that Huston or original contenders Jared Leto, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Tom Hardy may still be on the shortlist. With a release date announced, Marvel seems to be close to scrambling to fill the vacant lead for Scott Derrickson's film.

While I really like Joaquin Phoenix as an actor, he just never seemed like the right fit for the Marvel brand. His onscreen performance as Strange may have been phenomenal, but could you see him doing the Comic Con rounds without losing his mind? This is, after all, the same guy who faked a retirement and rap career for a full year just to come back and say it was all a gag.

Marvel's string of successes have begun to show minor cracks. There has always been a control issue between Marvel and the directors they hire, but with Edgar Wright's departure from ANT-MAN and now the trouble in casting for DOCTOR STRANGE, should we be concerned that Marvel may not be able to keep up their string of solid movies? Time will tell.

DOCTOR STRANGE is slated to open on July 8, 2016.