A Strange Perspective

I think a neglected Marvel Character yet to be plummed as the gold mine he is is Stan Lee and Steve Ditko's Dr. Strange. Strange idea? Not really, though Strange never achieved the status of the Fantastic Four or Hulk, he character did attract a smaller but loyal following. Replete with storyline including origins in his privileged waspish background as a surgeon without conscience who suddenly looses his status due to injury. A westerner in search of cure for his ailment he turns east and seeks the guru who will forever change his life... Sound good? It also sounds a little like Batman Returns except darker. As the blessings 'the ancient one' bestows on him (or are they?) include an induction into the 'mystic arts.' This makes the story all that darker, as the arts are, well, mystic. And introduce him into a bizarre alternate world of the supernatural, other dimentional, and freaky.
The Doctor Is In
I think if given one's druthers Marvel Inc. or the powers that be should give the series over to Sam Raimi and crew, who could pull it off. I have a couple of ideas of who could fill the role now that Robert Downey Jr. has been nabbed for the Iron Man role. I think if nabbed a good role, if taken in a campy direction, similar to his Spider-man series, would be the choice of Bruce Campbell. Another direction he could take would be to select Sean Penn for the role. They are plenty of actors that resemble the entitled waspish New York Surgeon including Barcelona's Chris Eigeman. However I believe Penn has the acting credentials to nail the role.
A Master's Degree in the Mystic Arts The first problem is getting a script and director capable of pulling off the suspense laden comic book in a vibrant compelling way. The mastery of this world of Nightmare and the Dread Dormammu. There are a few directors with an eye for the fanciful and they include Peter Jackson. But I think Raimi is the guy for the job who won't give an overly literal view with endless messages that need to be hammered repeatedly home. Maybe Jackson would be interested in Thor, a Siegfried or Nordic Saga, or the Scythian Steppes. But I think the latter would be better suited for Oliver Stone.