Benedict Cumberbatch is an outstanding actor, who has worked in major franchises like Star Trek, Sherlock Holmes, Marvel, and many more. The actor is a perfect combination of talent, charisma, and versatility, and his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes in the British crime drama Sherlock is a prime example that showcases his talent as an actor. The Imitation Game actor is now the new face of Marvel, but he was close to losing it all.
For numerous Marvel fans, it is impossible to imagine Benedict Cumberbatch as anyone other than Doctor Strange in the MCU. However, Cumberbatch shared how he almost played the role of villain, but took a massive gamble on his career and turned down the role, which later turned out to be a massive box-office disappointment.
Benedict Cumberbatch Almost Joined The MCU As a Villain in 2013
The 2021 book The Story of Marvel Studios: The Making of the Marvel Cinematic Universe told the story of how Benedict Cumberbatch joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe in a detailed manner. The book included a quote from the actor himself who shared that he almost joined the MCU as Malekith in Thor: The Dark World in 2013.
Cumberbatch shared that he was an ardent Marvel fan, and he was friends with Tom Hiddleston who was extremely popular in the franchise, and acknowledged that he knew little about the Marvel Comics Universe.
“I had friends that I supported in the like Tom [Hiddleston], and I was as intoxicated as everybody else was with the mixture of themes, humor, and the scale of cinema, of spectacle. But I didn’t grow up obsessed with any comics. I knew more about the cinematic universe than the comic universe.”
The actor was then, asked about the exact reason why he turned down the role, he shared that the role of Malekith the Accursed did not thrill him enough. Hence, he chose to turn down the role in Thor: The Dark World.
“I was bold enough to say, ‘I’m really flattered to be invited to the party, but I’d rather hold out for something a bit more juicy.’”
Since The Courier actor decided to turn down the role, it went to Christopher Eccleston in 2012, but the actor did not have a memorable debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe because despite having a massive budget of $272.1 million, the film managed to collect only $644.6 million at the worldwide box office. The film was bombarded with hate for being inconsistent, the story having major plotholes, and Eccleston’s poor portrayal of Malekith led to the failure of the second installment in Thor’s franchise.
Kevin Feige Believed Benedict Cumberbatch Will Be The Perfect Doctor Strange
Benedict Cumberbatch met Kevin Feige, and in the book, the boss of Marvel Studios shared that the actor is the “top choice” for the role and he was eager to have a meeting to see what the actor wants to do.
“Benedict had always been the top choice because of all the things he had been doing. We were excited to meet with him. We thought, ‘He would probably be a pretty good Strange, but let’s not mention that right away. Let’s just meet him, see what he wants to do.'”
Kevin Feige continued, that in the meeting, Benedict Cumberbatch brought up the topic of Doctor Strange, and the rest we know is history.
“He was talking about Star Trek. Then, I said, ‘Well, we’ve got a lot of characters…’ and he goes, ‘Doctor Strange?'”
It is safe to say that Cumberbatch’s portrayal of Doctor Stephen Strange has added to the popularity of the already massive franchise, as fans have loved his portrayal of the character in various Marvel projects, showering him with love and mass following around the world.
Doctor Strange can be streamed on Disney +.
Source: The Story of Marvel Studios: The Making of the Marvel Cinematic Universe
