Thanks to an exclusive from Deadline, we now know that the Scott Derrickson-helmed Doctor Strange has a writer: John Spaihts.
Spaihts is the guy who wrote the first script for Prometheus, back when it was called Alien: Engineers. I’ve read that script, and while it has many of the same problems that the final film had, Spaihts’ commentary and interviews on the amazing 4-disc Prometheus Blu-Ray set revealed him to be a sharp sci-fi writer with a solid vision.
Here’s what Deadline has to say:
“Marvel hopes to get a script and put this one in production on a fast track. They have a short list of actors that includes Tom Hardy and Benedict Cumberbatch, and I now hear that Dallas Buyers Club star Jared Leto is also on that list. The first draft of the Doctor Strange script was penned by Thomas Dean Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer.”
Spaihts is a busy guy with several irons in the fire, including that Mummy reboot that’s threatening to happen (if they can ever find a director that will stick with it). I’m satisfied with this choice, but who knows if Spaihts’ draft will even be the shooting script? From what I’m hearing, Marvel has a lot riding on this Phase 3 MCU film because they’re trying to shape Stephen Strange into a Tony Stark figure: an anchor point for the franchise. Here’s hoping we get something really good from Spaihts.