I dunno, Fantastic Four wasn’t that successful…
And that wasn’t the MCU… 
I don’t think he’ll be terribly good in the role, but he’s a savvy enough pick. All the MCU fans will see the movie anyway and the gaggles of BBC fans who wouldn’t have otherwise bought a ticket will do so because BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH.
If Chris Hemsworth can play Thor, Benedict Cumberbatch can play Dr Strange.
David Strathairn I want to see in a Lincoln prequel, playing Seward in a movie about the beginning of Lincoln’s administration.
I know very little about the character. How important is it that Strange be American?
And don’t just say “he’s American in the comics”; some characters, like Tony Stark or Steve Rogers have an “Americanness” to them that is inseparable from their character - and some don’t. Rocket Raccoon, for instance, was generally considered to have a British accent before the recent movie. Could Strange speak the Queen’s English and still be Strange?
BD Wong as Wong? 
Nationality probably isn’t that important, as Strange usually talks like a college professor. The character is a NYC native, but doesn’t display any distinct regional mannerisms IIRC. Of course, the moviemakers might jazz up his stuffy image a little.
Originally, Strange was a top-notch surgeon who cared more for the money and prestige than actually helping people. He later had some kind of accident that made his hands unstable and rendered him unable to operate. He searched the world over for a cure and found The Ancient One in Tibet, who took him in and helped him overcome his selfish ways. Strange remained for years, studying to become a sorcerer. So, his speech would probably have an Eastern influence.
It’s not essential that he be American, but they probably don’t want to risk alienating the fanboys.
He might be even stranger… 
He’s the Hot Actor Of The Moment. We’re going to see him in a bazillion different things and while I sometimes tired of the people in this position (See: Jim Carrey, Ben Stiller, etc), I can never blame them for grabbing everything and every dime they can while they can.
Also, he’s British. British actors never turn down a gig.
I think he’ll have more staying power, though. He’s exactly the kind of British character actor Hollywood loves - think James Mason or Robert Shaw or Gary Oldman or Alan Rickman. 20 years for now he’ll be the go-to guy for playing villains or mentors in major blockbusters and for lead roles in costume dramas and Oscar bait.
You mean like Elizabeth Banks? She is in EVERYTHING and I don’t know why. She’s pretty and not a bad actress, but there are a million better.
If there is some law that half of Americans in movies and TV have to be Brits, I could probably think of a bunch of Brits that would make a better Strange than Cumberbatch.
We Americans like to use Brits when the character needs to sound all smarty and high faluting.
Kind of like Brits like to use Americans whenever they need someone good looking in their films.
You haven’t seen The Walking Dead I take it? The Brits have southern drawls.
She’s in so many movies, she has to use a different name and call herself Rachel McAdams in half of them.
He’s American, because he’s not called “Mr. Strange.”
What?
Not a law. But it was a complicated deal that was worked out. If Robert Downey Jr got to play Sherlock Holmes, Hollywood had to let either Jonny Lee Miller or Benedict Cumberbatch play an American super-hero.
I can’t say I’m a huge Dr. Strange fan, but I can see Cumberpatch in the role. He could do very well in it.
I still think there is a qualitative difference between actors and actresses in what they do. They remain in separate award categories for the Oscars and Emmys, for instance, and IMHO appropriately so.
Or eeeeevil: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Bls1KKDwmo
:: rimshot ::