Denzel Washington casting in new MCU movie leaked and it’s a “waste”
Universal Pictures/MarvelDenzel Washington is joining the MCU, according to a new report that claims he’ll play one of Doctor Strange’s most famous villains.
In the closing minutes of Multiverse of Madness, two things happen: a third eye pops out of Doctor Strange’s forehead, and he meets Clea (played by Charlize Theron), who warns that his actions have caused an “incursion” and he needs to help her to fix it.
That was over two years ago. Has Marvel addressed it since? Nope. Updates about Doctor Strange 3 have been few and far between, with rumors of Sam Raimi returning to direct and the threequel adapting the Time Runs Out storyline before Avengers: Secret Wars.
Now, according to Production Weekly, Denzel Washington is set to join the cast… as Dormammu, the villain who appeared as a giant “destroyer of worlds” in 2016’s Doctor Strange.
Here’s a brief breakdown: he’s an inter-dimensional entity who rules over the Dark Dimension, also known as the Lord of the Dark Dimension. He’s Clea’s uncle and the brother of Umar, another iconic Doctor Strange villain.
His powers are vast (energy blasts, teleportation, time travel, size and matter manipulation, and resurrection), described by Strange as a threat to “the life of the universe itself.” According to him, if Dormammu unleashed his whole power, “no one could stand against him.”
He was voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch in the first film, so it’s presumed he’ll take a more physical, straightforward form in the upcoming Marvel movie – if the report is true.
Marvel StudiosProduction Weekly doesn’t have the best track record. For example, it claimed that Matt Reeves was developing a Mr Freeze movie alongside The Batman 2, and James Gunn quickly confirmed that it didn’t exist.
If it is true, fans are already concerned. “Not to be too pessimistic but if they waste Denzel like they wasted Christian Bale, it’ll break my heart,” one user commented.
“Please let’s not waste great acting talent on a forgettable villain,” another wrote. “Kind of doubt, Denzel doesn’t really do anything like the MCU but hey first time for everything,” a third added.
Others are excited about the prospect, but also cautious. “Washington is one of my favorite actors, I’d love this to be true, but taking it with a grain of salt,” one user commented.
“Never would’ve thought I’d see Denzel in a Raimi movie or an MCU movie. So the fact we might get both at once is wild. With him as a villain no less,” another wrote.
For more, check out our lists of the best supervillains, Marvel movies ranked, or best superhero movies.