It was bound to happen sooner or later. Latino Review, who seem to have the exclusive on every superhero story ever these days, are reporting that Johnny ‘look at my hat, surely a man of fifty wouldn’t have this cool hat’ Depp is in talks to enter the Marvel cinematic universe as surgeon and sorcerer Doctor Strange.

It’s some two and a half years since we first reported on Marvel’s plans to bring Doctor Strange into the neverending list of vaguely Avengers-affiliated superheroes, and a good six months since Joseph Gordon-Levitt was rumoured as the top choice for Sorcerer Supreme (that’s one of his actual job titles, apparently – Doctor Strange, not JGL). We said at the time that we’d prefer someone a little older for the role, but since Marvel have reportedly been basing their plans around a Strange in his early thirties Depp’s casting will presumably call for some frantic rewrites. And that’s assuming he actually makes it onto the set.

Johnny Depp is, despite his recent form, a very busy man, with a fifth Pirates of the Caribbean film trying to sail out of development hell and some sort of Alice in Wonderland sequel reportedly on the horizon. Given that Pirates, Alice and the Marvel brand are all Disney properties, someone upstairs may be able to reorganise things – but we won’t quite buy this news until we see a press release. Having said that, this is the chance to play a kooky character with weird dress sense in a colossal blockbuster franchise; stick a hat on Doctor Strange, and that’s all Depp’s favourite things in one job.

Can you see Depp wielding the Orb of Agamotto? Let us know below!