Joaquin Phoenix was supposed to walk out on stage at Comic-Con to be announced as the actor playing Doctor Strange. It was to be a repeat of what happened with Mark Ruffalo, who made his deal at the last minute and walked from signing his contract to a car that took him right to the San Diego Convention Center. It was going to be a triumph. That weekend a Marvel Studios insider told me they had tried their hardest, that they had pushed as hard as they could, but they couldn't close the deal in time.
Today
Collider reports that Phoenix is still in talks for the role, and that he's at the "1 yard line." I can back this up - he met with Marvel this week. But the problems that have kept the deal from closing remain, and they go beyond the basic fact that Phoenix is balking at the heavy multi-picture contract: Joaquin Phoenix literally doesn't know if he can work on this kind of movie.
He's a great actor, and he can play the role. But the Marvel Studios blockbuster machine is full of pre-viz and fight-viz and green screen and massive reshoots. It's not a world that's as comfortable for him, and he's just not certain he can do it. And I kind of think this is a terrific piece of self-awareness, and a piece of self-awareness that might keep the deal from closing. If Marvel can get past any issues Phoenix has with the larger contract they still have to get over the doubt this terrific actor has about working in this larger environment.
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