SNEAK PEEK : "Doctor Strange": Master Of The Mystic Arts

According to new rumors, Marvel Studios has shown an interest in actor Johnny Depp to play 'Doctor Strange', based on Marvel Comics' 'sorcerer supreme'.

"He is a great individual singular character," Marvel Studios' Kevin Feige said about "Doctor Strange".

"He's got a great personality. He's got a great origin story.

"And he's very, very different than any of our other characters.

"Doc Strange, as I've been saying for years, is a movie I believe we should make -- we're just figuring out how to make it a great movie.

"It is in active development right now.

"And, you know, we could find a great, great actor to bring that role to life.

"And a lot of people have been calling us, for years, about that. And he is a section of the Marvel universe -- like 'Guardians', is cosmic, and 'Thor' and 'The Avengers' sort of tease into that cosmic realm.

"He deals with other dimensions and he deals with the supernatural side of the Marvel universe -- which is extensive. And which we haven't dealt with at all in the Marvel cinematic universe.

"So, to me, 'Doctor Strange' is an in to a whole other corner of the Marvel universe that we haven't brought to life in movies yet..."

Following their Marvel Comics' success with "The Amazing Spider-Man", writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko debuted 'Doctor Strange' in Marvel Comics' "Strange Tales" #110 (July 1963).

They fashioned the physical look of their character after Lee Falk's 1930's comic strip character "Mandrake The Magician".

'Dr. Stephen Strange' was an arrogant, womanizing world-renowned neurosurgeon, until a Chappaquiddick-like car accident damaged his hands, preventing him from conducting surgery.

In desperation, a bitter Strange seeks out a legendary Tibetan hermit living in a 'Lost Horizon' of the Himalayas who may have a cure for his debilitating condition.

Strange finds 'The Ancient One', possessed of the knowledge of sorcerous spells and incantations, invoking names and aspects of extra-dimensional objects and beings of power.

Some of these phenomena include the 'Flames of the Faltine', the 'Shades of the Seraphim' and the 'Hoary Hosts of Hoggoth'.

When Strange thwarts the evil ambitions of the Ancient One's disciple 'Baron Mordo', the 500-year old wizard tutors Strange in the 'mystic arts', teaching him how to use magical artifacts to augment his power, including the 'Cloak of Levitation', the all-seeing 'Eye of Agamotto' and the 'Book of the Vishanti'.

Strange uses his magic to achieve a number of effects, including energy projection, teleportation, telepathy and astral projection.

Strange was also schooled in the use of addictive and corruptive 'dark magic' by one-time foe 'Kaluu', using it to destroy the entity known as 'Shuma-Gorath'.

Doctor Strange has also been featured in several self-titled Marvel Comics series and Marvel-endorsed products including arcade/video games, animated TV series, a direct-to-DVD film and merchandise including trading cards.