Concept art of Ryan Gosling as Doctor Strange before Marvel got their hands on Benedict Cumberbatch is extremely eerie.

Before anything is set in stone at Marvel Studios, the franchise takes its time with trial and error. Everything is explored from various perspectives, and all approaches are considered before announcements. While some leave fans wondering about what could have been, certain almosts by the franchise are better left unexplored.

Benedict Cumberbatch as Steven Strange | Credits: Marvel Studios

There is no doubt that Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange has never required any modification. Although audiences would have liked certain films to be different and better, at the end of the day, there is no one better suited for the role than the Sherlock actor.

However, it would seem that long before Marvel settled on Cumberbatch, they were considering another A-lister, and fans are glad that he was not picked.

Doctor Strange and a Multiverse of Casting Opportunities

When it comes to the role of Doctor Strange, Marvel has been adamant that they only had one person in mind. Benedict Cumberbatch seemed to be their one and only choice for the character. However, it would seem that the actor was having some scheduling conflicts, which caused the franchise to look elsewhere for their Strange begrudgingly.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness | Credit: Marvel Studios

Many names were speculated to be in consideration when the franchise was casting for the role of Steven Strange. Among them also happened to be Ryan Gosling, who was best known for The Notebook, Drive, and Crazy, Stupid Love at the time. However, it was artist Court Chu who seemed to have confirmed this suspicion on his blog, The Art Blog of Court Chu (via ScreenRant).

The artist posted a concept art of the actor as Strange, and it is safe to say that it paints a very interesting picture.

A Strange Concept

Ryan Gosling in Blade Runner 2049 | Credit: Warner Bros

The concept art of Ryan Gosling as Doctor Steven Strange is certainly interesting but for all the wrong reasons. Usually, when fans find out about a hypothetical casting choice or creative decision in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, they desperately wish to see where the franchise could have gone with it.

(2/23) Concept art for Ryan Gosling as Doctor Strange

In 2024 Marvel Studios met with him about playing the role pic.twitter.com/ZJHC5l1O9Q

— Marvel Updates (@Marvel_Updates_) December 13, 2024

However, there is no denying that Gosling was not the right person for the role of Doctor Strange. Although he is an acting chameleon in the highest regard, being able to transform himself into any character, there would certainly be something missing from his version of the character.

At the same time, the franchise made a very smart decision when they kept their attention focused on Benedict Cumberbatch, even though they had another big name like Gosling in the running. It would seem, however, that no harsh feelings were kept, as both actors have gone on to be extremely successful in their respective career.

Ryan Gosling in Barbie (2023) | Warner Bros.

Where Cumberbatch is moving into his seventh Marvel project, Gosling got two more Academy Award nominations to his name, becoming a cultural icon and starring in masterpieces like Barbie and La La Land.