Why One Doctor Strange Actor ‘Regrets’ Joining The Cast

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The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a behemoth in the entertainment world, and plenty of A-list talent have clamored to join the fun. The studio is showing no signs of slowing down, with projects arriving in both theaters and streaming on Disney+. But it turns out that one Doctor Strange actor actually wishes he'd passed on his role.

Scott Adkins has had a long career as an actor and stunt performer, putting him in some massive movie blockbusters throughout the years. This includes a supporting role in Doctor Strange movie, playing Kaecilius's ally Lucian and going to toe toe with Benedict Cumberbatch. The character was killed off in the movie's third act, and it's for this reason that Adkins recently admitted he regretted taking the gig. As he put it,

That is one role that I regret taking. I wish I would have held out and not taken the role, because now I feel I’ve blown my chance to be in the Marvel [Cinematic] Universe.

I mean, he's not wrong. While seemingly anything is possible within the MCU, it does seem like Lucian's death in Doctor Strange was pretty cut and dry. And as such, Scott Adkins wishes he waited for a role within the shared universe that could have some longer legs. FOMO alert.

Scott Adkins' comments to Illuminerdi show what it's really like working on comic book movies. While Adkins was Ryan Reynolds' stunt double in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, playing the Zealot Lucian allowed him to fully inhabit the character. But unfortunately he died during a battle with Strange that occurred via Astral Projection.

Marvel fans can re-watch Doctor Strange over on Disney+. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.

While dead Marvel characters have been resurrected through time travel or other macguffins, Lucian's fate in Doctor Strange seemed rather definitive. During their astral projection duel, Benedict Cumberbatch's protagonist gets the upper hand destroys his astral form. He later finds the villain's dead body in the physical world, which shows the finality of that type of magic.

While Scott Adkins isn't expected to reprise his role, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is currently in development. The movie will be helmed by the great Sam Raimi, and the title seems to indicate that the MCU will be greatly expanded. The movie will also include Scarlet Witch, and it was recently revealed that Rachel McAdams will be reprising her role as Christine Palmer.

With Iron Man and Captain America will no longer be in the MCU, other characters will likely step up as larger presences. Doctor Strange seems like one choice, as he'll also have a role in Spider-Man 3. What's more, the events of WandaVision are expected to directly die into Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is currently expected to hit theaters on March 25th, 2022. In the meantime, check out our 2021 release list to plan your trips to the movies in the New Year.

Corey Chichizola
Movies Editor

Corey was born and raised in New Jersey. Graduated with degrees theater and literature from Ramapo College of New Jersey. After working in administrative theater for a year in New York, he started as the Weekend Editor at CinemaBlend. He's since been able to work himself up to reviews, phoners, and press junkets-- and is now able to appear on camera with some of his favorite actors... just not as he would have predicted as a kid. He's particularly proud of covering horror franchises like Scream and Halloween, as well as movie musicals like West Side Story. Favorite interviews include Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more.