Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman to Star in War of the Roses Remake

Searchlight Pictures’ remake of War of the Roses has cast Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman as its leads. The original War of the Roses movie, directed by Danny Devito, was headlined by Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner, and was released back in 1989. The remake will be helmed by Jay Roach, the director mostly known for comedies but also branching out into dramas with the movies Recount and Bombshell. Cumberbatch and Colman are both stars of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with the former playing the Sorcerer Supreme Doctor Strange, and Colman recently joining the MCU in last year’s Secret Invasion.

The original War of the Roses features a married couple, Oliver and Barbara Rose, who fall out of love with each other. Most notably, it’s Barbara who comes to the realization that she doesn’t love her husband anymore, even though they seemingly live the perfect life. This causes a chain of events where the divorce proceedings turn ugly, with both sides looking to gain the upper hand using violence, humiliation, and more. The story is based on the 1981 novel by Warren Adler.

Is Marvel planning Doctor Strange 3?

News has been quiet on the Marvel front when it comes to the potential for a third Doctor Strange movie. Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness ended with Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange meeting and heading off with Clea (Charlize Theron) to investigate the Incursions that were happening between different Earths. One would assume that storyline will continue at some point, either in Doctor Strange 3 or another MCU film.

“I hope so. I would love to do another one,” Cumberbatch told New Indian Express back in 2022 about doing Doctor Strange 3. “Doctor Strange is such a complex character and it feels like there is so much more to explore with him. He is such a brilliant character and I’m still having a wild time playing him.”

With Marvel Studios pulling back on the number of projects it releases each year and adjusting the release dates of Thunderbolts, Captain America: Brave New World, and others, it may be awhile before we see the Sorcerer Supreme again.

When will Olivia Colman return to the MCU?

During the finale of Secret Invasion, we saw G’iah (Emilia Clarke) get all the powers of the Avengers, and she took on and defeated Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir). The series leaves both the fates of G’iah and Sonya (Olivia Colman) open-ended, and we don’t know where we could see them next in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In an interview with TheWrap following Secret Invasion, director Ali Selim commented on both characters’ futures, and it sounds like we will indeed be seeing them again in the MCU.

“For me, the Olivia Colman/Emilia Clarke, Sonya/G’iah moment at the end, I think it does set up something really potentially interesting,” Selim said. “But I think it’s also a lovely resolution to the story. And if they never show up in the MCU again, I feel fulfilled.”