Michael Stuhlbarg in Talks to Join Marvel's DOCTOR STRANGE

Kevin Feige has been wanting to make a Doctor Strange film for years, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe has finally expanded to include enough out-there material (Guardians of the Galaxy, anyone?) for Marvel Studios to be able to put some "mind-bending weirdness" in Phase 3.

Variety reports that Michael Stuhlbarg (A Serious Man, Steve Jobs, Men in Black 3) is in talks to join the movie, and he will reportedly play Nicodemus West, who's described by the outlet as "a rival scientist" of Benedict Cumberbatch's Stephen Strange. But Marvel's wikia paints a slightly different picture:

Dr. Nicodemus West was a long time admirer of Dr. Stephen Strange's surgical abilities. Dr. West performed the surgery that saved Strange's hands but leaving him with severe nerve damage following his automobile accident. Racked with guilt over robbing the world of Strange's medical service, Nicodemus followed Strange to Kamar-Taj arriving only days after Strange had completed his mystical training and departed. Concerned that Strange may not rise to the challenge of becoming the Sorcerer Supreme, the Ancient One elected to begin training Nicodemus in the mystic arts. After learning some of the essentials of mystic healing, Nicodemus departed Kamar-Taj without completing his training.

Sounds like that could be a dramatic, complex relationship if they stick close to the comics, but Marvel Studios has shown that they're willing to diverge from the source material in order to tell the best story they can on film, so Stuhlbarg may end up playing a version of this character we haven't seen before.

Rachel McAdams is on board as the female lead, Tilda Swinton will play The Ancient One, and Chiwetel Ejiofor is set to star as Baron Mordo. Scott Derrickson is directing from a script by Jon Spaihts, and Doctor Strange will hit theaters on November 4th, 2016.