After months of rumor and speculation on who would play the eccentric Marvel character Doctor Strange, it was revealed in late October that Marvel had their sights set on Benedict Cumberbatch for the role, though an official deal was never made. Until now. Marvel has announced that Cumberbatch will play the neurosurgeon turned sorcerer in the upcoming Doctor Strange film.

Known for playing Sherlock Holmes, Kahn, and Smaug, and currently receiving quite a bit of buzz for his role in The Imitation Game, Benedict Cumberbatch is now a part of the Marvel cinematic family.

The second of Marvel's Phase Three films, Doctor Strange is scheduled to hit theaters on November 4th, 2016. Scott Derrickson (Deliver Us from Evil) will direct off a screenplay by Jon Spaihts (Prometheus), while Benedict Cumberbatch, of course, will star as Doctor Stephen Strange. We have the official press release (via Marvel) with full details on the announcement:

"Benedict Cumberbatch to Play Doctor Strange

The celebrated actor to become the Sorcerer Supreme!

Benedict Cumberbatch has entered the world of the mystic arts.

The actor will star in Marvel’s “Doctor Strange,” scheduled to hit theaters November 4, 2016. The film, directed by Scott Derrickson with Jon Spaihts writing the screenplay, will follow the story of neurosurgeon Doctor Stephen Strange who, after a horrific car accident, discovers the hidden world of magic and alternate dimensions.

“Stephen Strange’s story requires an actor capable of great depth and sincerity,” said Producer Kevin Feige. “In 2016, Benedict will show audiences what makes Doctor Strange such a unique and compelling character.”

Cumberbatch rose to international prominence with his critically acclaimed turn as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s most famous creation in “Sherlock,” currently preparing its fourth season. The series’ most recent season earned Cumberbatch the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie in 2014, after winning the BAFTA/LA Britannia Award for British Artist of the Year in 2013.

Cumberbatch most recently starred in “The Imitation Game,” playing famed mathematician and logician Alan Turing, and will soon be seen in “The Hobbit: The Army of the Five Armies” as Smaug and the Necromancer. For the role of Smaug, Cumberbatch stepped into the world of motion capture to bring the dragon to life. He will next be seen in Scott Cooper’s film “Black Mass,” the story of Whitey Bulger coming to theaters next September, where he stars opposite Johnny Depp and Joel Edgerton.

The star’s other credits include the Academy Award-winning “12 Years a Slave,” “War Horse,” “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,” “August: Osage County,” “Star Trek Into Darkness,” “The Fifth Estate,” and “Parade’s End.” Benedict will be returning to the stage this summer in Hamlet at the Barbican with Lyndsey Turner directing. His last stage performance in Danny Boyle’s Frankenstein opposite Jonny Lee Miller awarded him the Olivier.

With “Doctor Strange,” Cumberbatch is just the latest actor to join the bold Phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, introducing new heroes and continuing the adventures of fan favorites across multiple films."

For those unfamiliar with Doctor Strange, he made his first appearance in a 1963 issue of Strange Tales before later receiving his own Marvel comic book series. Here’s some more information, via Marvel.com:

“Doctor Strange is one of the most powerful sorcerers in existence. Like most sorcerers, he draws his power from three primary sources: the invocation of powerful mystic entities or objects, the manipulation of the universe’s ambient magical energy, and his own psychic resources. Strange’s magical repertoire includes energy projection and manipulation, matter transformation, animation of inanimate objects, teleportation, illusion-casting, mesmerism, thought projection, astral projection, dimensional travel, time travel and mental possession, to name a few. The full range of his abilities is unknown. Doctor Strange’s powers are sometimes less effective against strictly science-based opponents, although he can overcome this limitation with effort.

Doctor Strange is a skilled athlete and martial artist with substantial medical and magical knowledge. Though an expert surgeon, Strange’s nerve-damaged hands prevent him from performing surgery except when supplemented by magic.”

Source: Marvel