"The Notebook" star Rachel McAdams might have been offered the female lead role in DC Movies' "Doctor Strange" alongside Benedict Cumberbatch as the title character. But if she only had her way, McAdams would much rather be a part of the DC Comics universe and portray Black Orchid.
McAdams has earlier confirmed that she is in talks with the studio to play the female lead in Marvel Studio's "Doctor Strange," but she has neither confirmed nor denied if she will be taking it on.
"That's sort of super early days and I don't know where that's gonna go, if it's gonna go anywhere at all. I'm certainly not a comic book snob. I really enjoy them and reading them, I think the 'Doctor Strange' franchise is really interesting and Benedict is amazing. And I love graphic novels. I love that they are coming to light," she said in an interview with the L.A. Times.
It's a great opportunity, acknowledges McAdams, but her heart is really set out on portraying the mysterious Black Orchid.
"I always wanted to make 'Black Orchid.' It's a tough one. But the fact that Doctor Strange is happening makes me think there's hope for more Neil Gaiman out there," she said.
Black Orchid is actually a human plant hybrid with superhuman strength, speed, agility, and durability. She can even fly into space, and she is able to reincarnate herself by mental transference. The Black Orchid is also a master of disguise who can deceive her opponents by altering her appearance and voice.
Her real name can either be Susan Linden-Thorne, Flora Black, or just plain "Suzy."
As McAdams earlier mentioned, the character is created by Neil Gaiman. The official description of her character in his comics reads: "After being viciously murdered, Susan is reborn fully grown as the Black Orchid, a hybrid of plant and human, in order to avenge her own death. Now as this demigoddess attempts to reconcile her human memories and botanical origins, she must also untangle the webs of deception and secrets that led to her murder. Beginning in the cold streets of a heartless metropolis and ending in the lavish heartland of the thriving Amazon, this book takes the reader through a journey of secrets, suffering, and self-discovery."
"Black Orchid" might not have its time in the limelight now, but Gaiman's other work, "The Sandman" is already being turned into a movie by Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
