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| Actor Benedict Cumberbatch waves to Korean reporters during an online press conference for the film, "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness," Monday. Courtesy of Walt Disney Korea |
By Kwak Yeon-soo
Actor Benedict Cumberbatch, who is returning with Marvel's "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness," said the evolution of his character has been interesting ― going from a neurosurgeon with egotistical pride to a selfless hero acting for the greater good.
On reprising his role as Dr. Stephen Strange in six years, the actor said the sorcerer has been pretty busy shooting six films to date, including "Thor: Ragnarok" (2017) "Avengers: Infinity War" (2018), "Avengers: Endgame," (2019) and "Spiderman: No Way Home" (2021).
"Just before 'Spider-Man,' Doctor Strange was omnipotent. He sees human flaws in 'Spider-Man,' but still is insistent to be the one in control. My task was to adjust the balance in him, and exhibit different variation of my character," Cumberbatch said in a press conference for the film, held via Zoom for reporters here, Monday.
In the Marvel Cinematic Universe's (MCU) latest film, Dr. Strange dives back into the multiverse and unleashes more threats than he can handle, including what appears to be an evil version of himself.
"This is the next chapter of MCU. We've done films in the multiverse and my character is sort of a gateway into that. To play different versions of myself was a wonderful challenge," he said.
"The actual Dr. Strange we already know has multiple layers to his personality. The multiverse sort of explores that idea around where we can understand many other versions to do with different choices and their resulting consequences."
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| A scene from the film, "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" / Courtesy of Walt Disney Korea |
Cumberbatch lauded horror-centric director Sam Raimi, adding that he created the perfect combination of horror genre and superhero genre. Raimi is well known for creating the Spider-Man trilogy (2002-2007) as well as the "Evil Dead" franchise.
"The pitch for the idea of this film was to be a horror film as much as a Marvel film can be. It's definitely the darkest and scariest so far," he said.
"He is incredibly amenable, funny and a great first audience you have as an actor to laugh or to engage with your work. He always has a very keen eye, which is very important in this phase of the MCU. He's very keen on holding onto story and character and making things clear to an audience," Cumberbatch added.
The actor also teased about the newcomer in "Doctor Strange" franchise who is Xochitl Gomez's America Chavez.
"Xochitl is brilliant, lovely and enthusiastic. She has all the requisite energy to fill the character. Her character is important because she represents LGBTQ+, Latin American, which is another mark for Marvel's inclusivity and diversity," he said.
"Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" will hit local theaters on May 4.
