In a move first picked up by Screen Daily (then basically confirmed by Hollywood Reporter, Marvel has apparently officially slotted DOCTOR STRANGE for the July 8th, 2016 release date they've had locked down for some time now.
While neither Marvel or director Scott Derrickson have responded to this announcement, it certainly makes sense. It places the film smack dab in between's CAPTAIN AMERICA 3's May 2016 and GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY 2's July 2017 dates, and we know that with a director and possibly a star already onboard, they aren't trying to wait 'till November 2017 to get this one out there.
07/08/15 is currently empty, but is nestled between a few heavy hitters. You got INDEPENDENCE DAY 2 and TARZAN coming out the week prior (not to mention the ANGRY BIRDS and BFG movies, if they happen), and then the next BOURNE movie and ICE AGE 5 a week later on the 15th (though there's a chance the former may be pushed back).
Compare that with GUARDIANS' August 1st release date, sandwiched between relative lightweights HERCULES and TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES. You'd think they'd want to give STRANGE the same kind of breathing room, considering the lack of competition at least contributed to GUARDIANS' spot as the highest grossing domestic release of the year. But hey, it's Marvel…they'll be fine.
Marvel is also expected to, once again, use London's Pinewood-Shepperton studios to film STRANGE, beginning sometime in May 2015.
Many of us have been clamoring for a DOCTOR STRANGE flick since these Marvel tentpoles started rolling out (or at least since Agent Sitwell namedropped "Steven Strange" to Cap and Widow), and it seems very, very likely that July 2016 is when we're going to get it.
So we don't know that Joaquin Phoenix will appear in Marvel's DOCTOR STRANGE, opening July 2016, but it's kinda looking that way, wouldn't you say?
DOCTOR STRANGE maaaaay come to your dimension on July 8th, 2016.
