Phoenix had reportedly reached the negotiation stage to play the powerful neurosurgeon-turned-Sorcerer Supreme, until talks fell through earlier this month.

Marvel's Doctor Strange. Credit:Wikia

Cumberbatch, who The Hollywood Reporter says had been an early contender for the role, then came back in the running.

The 38-year-old Sherlock and Star Trek Into Darkness star will play the primary protector of Earth against magical and mystical threats in the upcoming movie, slated for release in 2016.

The character of Doctor Strange was first hatched by Marvel Comics veterans Stan Lee and Steve Ditko in 1963.