It’s hard to not see how a Marvel Comics character like Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange has taken over the surrogate role of MCU leader post-Tony Stark as the cinematic universe has entered The Multiverse Saga, Strange’s domain. However, the British actor seemingly finds it hard to get those deeply emotional or character-driven scenes when you don’t have much screen time to play with in specific instances when they’re simply aiming to move the story along.
As Cumberbatch tells The Talks in a recent interview, when you only have five minutes in a massive Marvel movie like “The Avengers,” it can be tough as an actor to land the emotional aspects when the development of character isn’t exactly the focus and it can be mostly about servicing the story at hand.
“It’s not some sort of acting gym where you’re stripping off layers of self to reveal a layer of truth all the time,” said Cumberbatch. “You are working to do some of that but in the heartbeat of making a massive film like ‘The Avengers,’ for example, it can be tough getting that one moment of emotion absolutely nailed in five minutes because that’s all the time they have because of the other, bigger things around it.”
The “Doctor Strange” actor continued, “In this instance, it’s not a massive development of the character, it’s about how to service the story at the same time as balancing the integrity of a now much-loved part of the Marvel cinematic universe. So, I learn on every job. I would like to think I learn. I learn by watching other people. It was wonderful to watch Robert. It is wonderful to watch him, and to watch people who really know what they are playing inside out.”
Some clear examples of those kinds of MCU projects are “Thor: Ragnarok,” “Avengers: Infinity War,” “Avengers: Endgame,” and “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” Where Strange appears but those scenes are usually meant to give exposition or move the plot along rather than giving Strange his own moment in the sun. The Marvel superhero was arguably diminished in “Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness,” as that recent installment felt more of a tantalizing vehicle to tell a Wanda Maximoff story than a Stephen Strange one.
Cumberbatch also believes that “Sherlock” had a much bigger reach due to being a television program than his Doctor Strange appearances, which is a very interesting and potentially truthful observation.
“I think ‘Sherlock’ for me has had a bigger reach than something like ‘Doctor Strange’ because it’s television; it’s more democratic, more people have seen it. The reach that program has had is extraordinary,” he added.
When Charlize Theron’s Clea showed up in the recent film’s end credit scene, presumably setting up Strange’s next adventure in the Dark Dimension, it did very much feel like the character is ready to get romantic with his comic book love interest and mystical peer (telegraphing the end of Stephen’s Christine drama). Perhaps, in “Doctor Strange 3” or something else that helps lead into the next two Multiverse-focused “Avengers” installments we’ll end up seeing Strange explore things beyond his superhero abilities.
