If today Benedict Cumberbatch is the face of Doctor Strange in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), the actor almost played another character a few years ago. Indeed, the actor had an opportunity to be the face of one of Thor’s enemies. But Benedict Cumberbatch finally refused the proposal while waiting for something more interesting. And clearly, he made the right decision.
Doctor Strange is in the place
Since 2016 with Doctor Strange, Benedict Cumberbatch Is The Face Of The Mystical Arts Master In The MCU. A role he has taken on several times: in 2017 in Thor: Ragnarokin 2018 in Avengers: Infinity Warin 2019 in Avengers: Endgamein 2021 in Spider-Man: No Way Homeand a few days ago in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. A role that he knew how to grant himself and embody with enormous verve and talent. But did you know that comedy failed lend his features to an entirely different Marvel character years ago?
Benedict Cumberbatch as the big bad?
In a recent interview with BBC Radio 1, Benedict Cumberbatch has confirmed old rumors that the actor had in the past been approached by Marvel Studios for a role other than that of Doctor Strange. He indeed confirmed, during the promotion of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessthat he failed play as the dark elf Malekith in Thor: The Dark World. He had just come out of Star Trek: Into Darknessand he didn’t want to jump right into a new villain role:
I was bold enough to say, “I’d rather wait for something a little juicier.” The Marvel reps were interested in me playing this character.
Finally, Benedict Cumberbatch made the right decision. Malekith is a very secondary character in the MCUand Thor: The Dark World is one of the worst installments in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe. Moreover, the character never returned to the front of the stage, and generally fell into oblivion. At the time of Thor: The Dark World (2013) is the comedian Christopher Eccleston who was chosen to play the terrible dark elf. And despite the talent of the English actor, the character remained generally quite tasteless…
Subsequently, Marvel Studios returned to Benedict Cumberbatch to offer him the role of Dr Strange. And again, the comedian has hesitated before accepting this new proposal:
I kind of read the comics and that interested me because he’s pretty old school, kinda misogynistic, very much into the 70s. But I wasn’t sure that was a big part in the MCU. They then reassured me: “He will be adapted to today. He will really be a man of today. With his qualities, but also his faults, like his arrogance.
He finally said yes, to the delight of the fans. Benedict Cumberbatch can be found in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnesswhich has already brought in more than $532 million in box office receipts.