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The MCU is a juggernaut like nothing else. There are no other film franchises that can match the scale at which it releases projects while ensuring that all of them remain connected to each other. Notable actors like Michael Keaton, Jake Gyllenhaal, and more have become a part of the franchise. But not Jessica Chastain, who said no toDoctor Strange.
The actress known for films likeInterstellar,The Martian, and more, was offered a role opposite Benedict Cumberbatch in the film, but she turned it down. When screenwriter C. Robert Cargill got to know about the reason, he said that it was the“coolest rejection ever”for him.
Why Did Jessica Chastain DropDoctor Strange?
The role of Christine Palmer is played by Rachel McAdams inDoctor Strangeand its sequelDoctor Strange 2. However, before McAdams, Marvel Studios was courtingJessica Chastainfor the role. However, she wasn’t interested in playing the role of a human love interest in a franchise full of superheroes, aliens, and cool spies.
On the Junkfood Cinema podcast, C. Robert Cargill, the screenwriter for the film stated:
“She’s like, ‘Hey, look, this project sounds awesome, and I would love to do it. But I’m only going to get one shot at being in a Marvel film and becoming a Marvel character, and I trained in ballet, and I really want to wear a cape.’ It’s the coolest rejection ever…She wanted to be in a Marvel movie, but she wanted to be the superhero, not the badass doctor Night Nurse.”
Read More:“It’s like Dwayne’s Angels”: X-Men Star Jessica Chastain Announces She’s Doing a Movie With The Rock, Emily Blunt, and Nicole Kidman
Chastain did get her wish when she starred in the X-Men filmDark Phoenix(2019) as the alien Vuk who could shapeshift. However, the film was a box office bomb and grossed a meager $252 million on a humongous $200 million production budget.Doctor Strange(2016), on the other hand, was a success at the box office and grossed $677 million globally.
However, Chastain probably did the right thing by starring inDark Phoenix. At the very least, she got to play a cool alien. Whereas the success of theDoctor Strangefilms isn’t attributed to Rachel McAdams’ Christine Palmer and neither is her role a notable one in those Benedict Cumberbatch-led Marvel films. However, getting McAdams for the role wasn’t easy either, as perDoctor Strangedirector Scott Derrickson.
Read More:Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange Replaces Robert Downey Jr’s Iron Man as Leader of the Avengers in Secret Wars as Kang Reportedly Hunts Him For Creating Incursions?
How Did Marvel Studios Get Rachel McAdams ForDoctor Strange?
During aDoctor Strangewatch party in 2020, director Scott Derrickson said that he had tried his best to get Rachel McAdams for the role of Christine Palmer. He stated that he knew that as an actress she would be the only one who would be able to sell an authentic reaction to all the fantastical things happening in the film.
“I fought hard to get Rachel McAdams for this role. I knew that we would believe her reactions to such fantastical things.”
This scene was the main reason I fought hard to get Rachel McAdams for this role. I knew that we would believe her reactions to such fantastical things.#QuarantineWatchParty#DoctorStrange
— N O S ⋊ Ɔ I ᴚ ᴚ Ǝ ᗡ ⊥ ⊥ O Ɔ S (@scottderrickson)June 01, 2025
Read More:Marvel Studios Reportedly Want Spider-Man Director Sam Raimi Back for Doctor Strange 3 Despite Bob Iger Revealing Studio Not in Favor for Sequels After Relentless Criticism
While many back then believed that McAdams wouldn’t reprise her role as Palmer in the sequel, she proved everyone wrong and came back. He role was also expanded upon in the sequel and she got to play a multiversal variant of herself. However, it’s not yet known if she will be there forDoctor Strange 3since the book on the love story of Stephen Strange and Christine Palmer was effectively closed in the sequel film. Yet, fans hope to see her again.
Doctor StrangeandDoctor Strange 2are streaming on Disney+.
Source:Junkfood CinemaandTwitter
Ishita Chatterjee
Content Writer
Articles Published :750
Ishita is an Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on TV shows, with over 700 articles published. She has been working in the entertainment and pop-culture niche for more than 4 years. With a English Literature degree, Ishita generally covers news and analyses on Foundation, Ted Lasso, Severance, and more.A lifelong DC fan, Ishita spends her time watching and re-watching everything in the DC universe (yes, even including the Arrowverse shows).
