Marvel – 2016(LOS ANGELES) Paging Doctor Strange! Marvel’s newest movie, starring Benedict Cumberbatch in the title role as the surgeon turned sorcerer, is now in theaters.
Though Dr. Stephen Strange isn’t the kind of superhero we’re used to seeing, and isn’t all that nice a person when we meet him, Cumberbatch believes audiences will root for him. “He’s an egotist, he’s materialistic, he’s pretty unlikable, but there’s still an element of charm and humor about him that warms you to him a little,” Cumberbatch tells ABC Radio.
“But the amount of suffering he goes through and the amount of challenges he faces by the end you’re like yeah, good, this man is a true hero.”
The 40-year-old actor, who became a star playing Sherlock Holmes in the BBC’s modern-day Sherlock series, is also used to playing bad guys, like the dragon Smaug in The Hobbit movies or Khan in Star Trek Into Darkness. He admits feeling some “giddy excitement” donning the Doctor Strange costume.
“It was my first sort of superhero moment,” he notes. “And there are some lovely moments in the film where he gets some rewards for his endeavors. And it’s just like yeah, you’ve earned that moment. So it’s exciting to play.”
And since this is a Marvel movie, Strange will most likely end up hanging around with the Avengers. How does he think his character will get along with the others?
“There are some pretty strong personalities in that bunch. I mean, you know, that little domestic squabble we saw in Civil War,” Cumberbatch tells ABC Radio. “I mean, you know, they’re clashing heads already. So, he might come along and be a little bit of balm for that, you don’t know.”
Marvel is owned by Disney, the parent company of ABC News.
Copyright © 2016, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
