Benedict Cumberbatch Compares Doctor Strange to Sherlock Holmes
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness star Benedict Cumberbatch compares his role as Stephen Strange to another of his previous characters, Sherlock Holmes. Set to follow on from the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Cumberbatch will return to reprise his role as Master of the mystic arts, Doctor Strange. So far the film has been kept tightly under wraps, leading to much speculation as to who, or what could appear within the bounds of its multiversal story. Elizabeth Olsen will star alongside Cumberbatch, reprising her role as Wanda Maximoff, otherwise known as the Scarlet Witch, with Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Wong, Xochitl Gomez, and Rachel McAdams also set to appear.
Prior to joining the MCU, Cumberbatch appeared in a number of stand-out roles, including leading a modern-day reimagining of the beloved detective stories of Sherlock Holmes alongside fellow MCU co-star Martin Freeman, who played John Watson. Sherlock ran for 4 seasons, with many considering it to be one of Cumberbatch’s career-defining roles. The star has previously reflected on his time as Sherlock with fond memories, often citing the series’ immense success and how he never expected it to be the hit that it was. Now, Cumberbatch has compared these two major characters, drawing on their similarities and discussing what he feels makes them alike.
Sitting down recently with The Treatment podcast to promote his latest film The Power of the Dog and to discuss the upcoming Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Cumberbatch discussed how Stephen Strange views “people as a problem to be solved” much in the same way Sherlock does. The star went on to say that with both Strange and Holmes, their “human touch” and “bedside manner” are non-existent and that both characters' main focus is consistently on “solving the case,” and, in Strange’s case, the “difficulty of surgery.” Cumberbatch then went on to explain how this ultimately plays into Strange's doomed relationship with Christine Palmer (McAdams) and the pain of that goodbye. Check out Cumberbatch’s full quote below.
For sure. And I think it's the sort of slightly Sherlockian coloring of his character, and God knows they were influenced by him. He definitely viewed people as a problem to be solved in a very Sherlockian way. His human touch, his bedside manner is kind of never in existence. It was all about the process of solving the case, in his case, the difficulty of surgery. And then I think with the sorcerer supreme as well, not that he is a sorcerer supreme. He's a master of domestic arts, but his state is a little lower than it is in the comics. But that's a different story, and one that requires another interview, probably with Bennie Wong to explain why. But I think it's very apparent that he's in isolation there. And it costs him a relationship in that first film. And that's a choice.
I think he only realizes once he's had the evolution at the hands of the ancient world, what he's screwed up and is going to miss in Christine. And so that is a painful goodbye. He realizes that there could have been a future with them and that seed is sown in that moment in the film. But you're right; maybe that is part of what he actually is fine with. He's fine with aligning himself with creatures and spirits and everything else that's thrown at him and that's why he can be a slight outsider as an Avenger.
Throughout his recent promotional endeavors, Cumberbatch has discussed his time as Doctor Strange at length, previously comparing the Sorcerer to Robert Downey Jr’s Iron Man. The actor cited how both of these characters often let their egos get the better of them, which is certainly also a trait that can be seen in Holmes. Many have felt as though the MCU has been gearing up for Doctor Strange to take over the mantle from Iron Man following his tragic demise in Avengers: Endgame, with Marvel President Kevin Feige recently calling Doctor Strange the “anchor of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.”
There are a number of aspects within both Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Strange where one could certainly see similarities, so it’s interesting to hear that Cumberbatch also acknowledges these slight echoes of his previous character within his performance. Cumberbatch has been notably coy about any future plans to return to his much-loved role as Sherlock, offering a glimmer of hope for many by previously stating that he would “never say never.” In the meantime, audiences can look forward to seeing Cumberbatch return as Stephen Strange when Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness hits theatres on May 6.
Source: The Treatment Podcast