AI Recasts Keanu Reeves As Doctor Strange In The MCU

In the years since he made his big-screen debut, Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange has emerged as one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's biggest and most formidable heroes. For his part, Cumberbatch has fit so seamlessly into the role that some fans have likely forgotten that he wasn't the only performer who was approached about taking on the role of the Sorcerer Supreme. Several other high-profile actors were almost cast as Doctor Strange instead of Cumberbatch, who famously turned down the first MCU role he was offered (Malekith in "Thor: The Dark World") because he wanted to wait for a better part.

Suffice it to say, Cumberbatch ended up getting just that. However, one of the actors allegedly in contention along with Cumberbatch for the role of Stephen Strange was John Wick himself, Keanu Reeves. This has led digital artist and Marvel fan @houseofmat to — with the help of AI — imagine what it might have looked like had Reeves been cast as Doctor Strange, specifically, had he gotten the part during the '90s. Unsurprisingly, the result confirms that the "Matrix" star, at the very least, wouldn't have had any trouble looking the part.

Whether or not Reeves' take on Stephen Strange would have been as compelling as Cumberbatch's is a mystery that will likely never be solved. That said, it's worth noting that the conversation surrounding Reeves' potential "Doctor Strange" casting did actually reach him in 2014.

In a decade-old interview with Collider, Keanu Reeves addressed the rumors that were connecting him at the time to "Doctor Strange" and explained why the thought of joining a franchise like the MCU gave him pause. "From a practical standpoint, the idea of a longtime contract is sort of 'errr' because you want to make sure the material is up to a certain level," he told the outlet. "I like the idea. I go to those kinds of movies. I grew up on them and comics and graphic novels. [But] I didn't know Doctor Strange as a character. I didn't read that as a kid."

Reeves, notably, still hasn't appeared in the MCU, and it's unclear if he ever will. In 2021, though, Kevin Feige told The Hollywood Reporter that Marvel Studios no longer relied on its stars to sign sweeping, multi-project deals. Therefore, should he ever be approached to star in a future MCU TV series or movie, it doesn't seem like Reeves will have to worry about making an obscenely long-term commitment.

For now, Reeves seems mostly concerned with reprising a comic book role he's played once before: John Constantine. Indeed, not only was it revealed in 2022 that a sequel to 2005's "Constantine" was in development, but Reeves has also confirmed that he's spoken with DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn about it. In 2023, "Constantine" director Francis Lawrence also told GameSpot that he, Reeves, and screenwriter Akiva Goldsman had begun discussing the film's story. It seems, in other words, more likely right now that the actor's next comic book movie won't be an MCU title, but "Constantine 2."