Doctor Strange officially played by Benedict Cumberbatch

It's finally official, officially – Benedict Cumberbatch will play Marvel Comics' Doctor Strange. This magical mystic, a commander of all things strange, will be played by an actor "capable of great depth and sincerity." So says Producer Kevin Feige, who continued, "in 2016, Benedict will show audiences what makes Doctor Strange such a unique and compelling character. Cumberbatch is best known for his roles as Sherlock Holmes, Smaug the Endless, Smaug the Enormous, Smaug the Dragon in The Hobbit, and the big villain in Star Trek Into Darkness.

Doctor Strange, the first* Marvel Comics film to cover this comic book character, will follow the origin story of the character. Doctor Stephen Strange, a neurosurgeon, has a "horrific car accident" at the start of this story. He then "discovers the hidden world of magic and alternate dimensions."

So says Marvel this afternoon. Note that the images you see above and below are fan-made mock-ups, and were not provided by Marvel. If you are the artist or know who the artist is, please let us know – we're in search!

This Doctor Strange film will be released on November 4th, 2016. That's quite a ways off – but gives plenty of time for the Marvel Comics universe to expand to the massive scale needed to handle such a sorcerer. Doctor Strange will be directed by Scott Derrickson, and the screenplay will have been written by Jon Spaihts.

*CORRECTION: This is the SECOND time Doctor Strange has appeared in film form. Behold, the original!