It's official, Benedict Cumberbatch will portray Dr. Strange.

Weeks of negotiations eventually led Marvel to pick the actor to give life to the character.

"Stephen Strange's story requires an actor capable of great depth and sincerity," Producer Kevin Feige said.

"In 2016, Benedict will show audiences what makes Doctor Strange such a unique and compelling character."

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Cumberbatch recently earned critical praise for his performance as Alan Turing in The Imitation Game, the biopic that Weinstein Co is slating for release November 21.

His acting already earned the buzz that he might grab an Oscar nomination.

He is also slated to join the cast of The Hobbit: The Army of Five Armies.

Cumberbatch has already won an Emmy for his role as Sherlock Holmes on the BBC/PBS hit Sherlock.

Joaquin Phoenix was initially offered the role, but since the Oscar-winning star did not sign a deal with Marvel, the studio was quick to launch a hunt for the right actor to play Doctor Strange.

The Marvel character Doctor Strange is a famous neurosurgeon who eventually became the "Sorceror Supreme." The character is a numinous keeper whose role it is to ensure the safety of Earth from impending threats from the outer space.

Stan Lee and Steve Ditko were the men behind Doctor Strange. It was first seen the Marvel comic book, Strange Tales, in the 1960s.

An animated, straight-to-DVD feature, Doctor Strange: The Sorcerer Supreme, was released in 2007.

Scott Derrickson will direct the motion picture. Jon Spaihts will write the script. The first draft was helmed by Thomas Dean Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer. The film is to be produced by Kevin Feige.

The Doctor Strange film is slated for screening in 2016.

TagsBenedict Cumberbatch, Dr. Strange, Imitation Game