Benedict Cumberbatch of BBC Sherlock fame is going to play Doctor Strange in Marvel’s upcoming film of the same name. The British actor recently presented the film to the audience at the D23 event.
Benedict Cumberbatch said that he is very excited about the prospect of playing the role of Doctor Strange. He said that the character is one of a kind and it’s going to be an interesting challenge to play the character that brings in different dimensions.
It is believed that Marvel’s Doctor Strange is going to be a movie that is very different from the other movies from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Kevin Feige, the President of Marvel Studios has himself confirmed this piece of information.
Feige has told Vanity Fair that the upcoming film is going to be a very strange film and something that they have never attempted before. Doctor Strange is full of supernatural elements. The comic strip on which the film will be based is full of sci-fi and fantastical occurrences and it makes immense use of magic and alternate dimensions.
The plot of Doctor Strange revolves around Doctor Stephen Strange who is the most powerful magician. However, the Doctor meets with a terrible accident which injures his hand to the extent that he loses the use of them completely.
After the accident, Doctor Strange goes to the Himalayas where he plays the Ancient One. This character is going to be played by Tilda Swinton and it is the Ancient One to whom Doctor Strange owes his magical powers. Doctor Strange is trained to become the Sorcerer Supreme who protects the earth from woes from other worlds.
While the fans were not treated to any trailer of Doctor Strange at the D23, they were shown a concept art that had Doctor Strange watching the universe. According to The Guardian, Benedict Cumberbatch told the fans at the event that the film is going to have cars, girls and explosions, all the usual fare with a little of the different dimensions.
Benedict Cumberbatch made quite an appearance at the D23 event. He is said to have made a Vulcan salute that is symbolic of live long and prosper symbol associated with his other film, Star Trek. This gag was directed at the fans and once the crowd was done cheering this, Cumberbatch quickly proceeded to presenting his upcoming Marvel film.
Cumberbatch couldn’t be present at the D23 Expo at Anaheim because he had to perform Hamlet at London’s West End on the very same day and so made a video commentary instead.
The art work that was revealed at the D23 Expo showed that the costume for Doctor Strange in the film will be darker than what it is in the comic book. The art work didn’t have any feature on the Ancient One.
Kevin Feige has informed CinemaBlend that the Marvel Studio has been waiting for the idea of Doctor Strange to be perfected for a very long time. Feige said that the wait has been as long as the inception of the Marvel Cinematic Universe itself! Marvel has been waiting to perfect the film to live up to the sheer richness that it enjoyed in the comic book and they believe that the wait is going to be completely worth it.
Cumberbatch is a brilliant actor who has brought to screen some of the most challenging roles effortlessly. Playing Doctor Strange is surely not going to be an easy task. Benedict Cumberbatch spoke to the Independent about his experience with theatre.