Should We Give Keanu Reeves a Chance at Doctor Strange?

I’ll start by saying that my knowledge of Doctor Strange and the Marvel universe is limited.  I know more than the average cinema goer but I’m not a massive Marvel comics fan. The majority of the people that actually go and see the films aren’t well versed in the universe either and are just film fans like me so I like to think I’m qualified enough to have an opinion. There seems to be different bits of news about Doctor Strange coming out everyday and in the last few months many actors have been linked to the role including Joaquin Phoenix, Keanu Reeves, Jared Leto, Benedict Cumberbatch, Matthew McConaughey and basically any other male actor over the age of 30. All of the actors that have been named are incredibly talented and in great places in their careers so it would be quite difficult to pick one actor that’s best for the role but I have, I pick Keanu Reeves.

The problem with the actors that Marvel seem to be gunning for is that they don’t really need to be tied to one of their 9 picture contracts. Their careers seem to be going quite well and any one of them could easily pick up a franchise if they want to, they don’t need Marvel for that. One of the main reason that actors like Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth and Chris Evans have signed up with them is because they needed to kick start/re-start their careers which the rumoured Strange actors don’t need because they are in their prime of theirs. McConaughey is still in his McConnaissance, Leto is basking in Oscar glory, it seems like Cumberbatch is booked solid until about 2027 and Phoenix is Phoenix. If they signed up with Marvel they would limit the other roles that they could take because they’d always have to be at Marvels beck and call, I don’t really see them subjecting themselves to that as they have a lot of work already lined up.

That brings me to Keanu Reeves. I understand that a lot of people will probably think I’m a lunatic but I honestly think he doesn’t get enough credit, he is a talented actor but he hasn’t had the roles to show it off lately. He needs a career resurgence unlike the other actors that are in contention for the role, and it’s more likely that he’d be willing to sign a multi-picture deal with them. He is essentially in the same position as Robert Downey Jr. was before Iron Man, people weren’t willing to take a chance on him but he blew everyones expectations out of the water. I’d expect the same of Keanu Reeves and it feels like the Doctor Strange role is the way to go and now when I picture the sorcerer I see Reeves. He seems about the right age of the character and I think he could believably play the egotist turned good guy and would love to watch him casting spells to save Earth.

The further we get in our Marvel phases the less we’ll see of the characters that kick started it. The actors contracts are almost over and unless they renegotiate then we’ll have to have a brand new Avengers team in a few years time and I think Reeves’ Doctor Strange would prove to be an integral part of that. The Marvel films tend to follow the same format and seeing the same faces constantly is getting kind of tiring. I used to watch their releases opening night and now I go months without seeing them, and it doesn’t even pain me like it used to do. If Keanu Reeves were cast  in Doctor Strange it would probably be enough to make me queue opening night just to watch it and I hate queuing. If Marvel don’t hurry up and cast someone *cough* Reeves *cough* I think I’ll start a full scale riot, I don’t think I can take anymore speculation.

So what do you say, are you willing to give Keanu Reeves a chance? Or have you already chosen your Doctor Strange?