When Joaquin Phoenix Rejecting Doctor Strange Lead Kevin Feige Change The Hiring Process For MCU Actors: “We Don’t Want Someone To Feel Like They’re Forced”

Joaquin Phoenix is one of the few A-Listers of Hollywood who have turned down a role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As Faith had other plans, he went on to play Joker for the DC movies and the superhero fandom was enthralled. However, as he rejected the role of playing Doctor Strange in the MCU, it led Marvel to change policies for hiring new actors. Read on to find out what actually happened within the hiring process.

What if the Joker actor Joaquin Phoenix had joined the MCU as the sorcerer supreme? As that question excited the fans, it was a possibility until Marvel and Joaquin fall out on mutual agreement. The actor opted out of the project due to the multi-film deal and extensive press commitments that he didn’t want to commit to, thus leading to Benedict Cumberbatch landing the role of Stephen Strange, an arrogant neurosurgeon who turned into the master of mystic arts.

The Oscar-winning actor could not join the Infinity Saga, which affected the MCU’s hiring process—during a conversation with The Direct, Marvel Studios’ former production lead attorney Paul Sarker explained how Joaquin Phoenix’s Doctor Strange rejection led Kevin Feige to change the hiring process and contract for the actors taking on the role.

“We were hopeful that it would close, but it didn’t. And that happens. And that to bring it back full circle, things like that may be why Kevin is saying we don’t want to do these super long-term deals because we want to see what works, and if it works, and people want to do more than we’d love to have [them]. We don’t want someone to feel like they’re forced,” said Paul Sarker revealing that Kevin wanted the actors not to feel forced.

Following the development of the events, it also gives Marvel its own flexibility since a short-term deal works if fans belove a particular actor or actress. Seeing the positive reception by the audiences served the talent’s motivation to sign up for more Marvel projects.

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