Horror director to helm Marvel's Doctor Strange

The director of The Exorcism Of Emily Rose has been tapped to take charge of upcoming Marvel film Doctor Strange.

Following reports that Scott Derrickson was at the top of the shortlist to helm the film adaptation of the comic book, he took to Twitter.com on Tuesday (03Jun14) to confirm the news himself.

Posting a photo of him holding up a copy of a Doctor Strange comic, he wrote, "My next movie will be STRANGE."

Derrickson has previously focused on directing horror films, including Sinister, The Day the Earth Stood Still, and upcoming movie Deliver Us from Evil with former Hulk star Eric Bana.

Doctor Strange tells the story of a former neurosurgeon who turns into the Sorcerer Supreme, a protector of Earth against magical and mystical threats.

The film is one of Marvel's movies in Phrase 3 of the Cinematic Universe roll-out, along with Ant-Man and Captain America 3, slated for a release in 2015 and 2016, respectively.