Benedict Cumberbatch turned down a Marvel villain role before landing Doctor Strange

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The Multiverse of Madness actor wanted to "hold out for something a ♏bit more juicy"

Benedict Cumberbatch as Stephen Strange in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
(Image credit: Marvel Studios)

澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Doctor Strange 2 star Bꦬenedict Cumberbatch has revealed that he once turned down a villainous role in the Marvel Cinematic Un🌸iverse, because he wanted to "hold out for something a bit more juicy". 

With the release of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Cumberbatch has officially starred as the titular character six times on the big screen. But before he signed on to play the surgeon-turned-sorcerer, he was approached to bring Malekith the Accursed to life in 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Thor: The Dark World, a part that ultimately went to 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Doctor Who's Christopher Eccleston.

, the Power of the Dog actor explained that he'd just wrapped Star Trek: Into Darkness at the time, and that while he felt "really flattered to be invited to the party", he didn't want to play another baddie.

"I was bold enough to🐬 say, 'I'd rather hold out for something a bit more juicy,'" Cumberbatch remembered. "I really wasn't part of the conversation until it came back to me through [represeꦡntatives] that they were interested. 

"I sort of read the comics and went, 'Yikes', because he's quite old school, a bit of a misogynist, very bound in the '70s," he said of Stephen Strange. "I thought, 'It's a bit cornball. I'm not sure this is a great MCU [role]. I don't get it.' They went, 'No, it would be today. It would be very much a man of today. Yes, with some of those qualities, but like a man of today would have those qualities where he thinks he's the business,' beca༒use he has to have that arrogance." 

In The Story of 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Marvel Studios: The Ma♔king of the Marvel Cinematic Universe book, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige claimed that Cumberbatch was "the top choice" to play Strange, over Tom Hardy and Jared Leto, when Joaquin Phoenix pulled out of the c𝔉haracter's planned standalone film in 2014.

"Benedict had always been the top choice because of all the things he had been doing. We were excited to meet with him," Feige said. "We thought, 'He would probably be a pretty good Strange, but let's not mention that right away. Let's just meet him, see what he wantꦡs to do.' He was talking about Star Trek. Then, I said, 'Well, we'veಞ got a lot of characters...' and he goes, 'Doctor Strange?'" 

Also starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Benedict Wong, Xochitl Gomez, and Elizabeth Olsen, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is out in cinemas now. Before you head to the theater, why not check out our breakdown of the ever-expanding 澳洲幸运5开奖号码历史查询:Marvel timeline, and figure out where i𓆉t fits in the franchise. For spoiler-filled analysis of Doctor Strange 2, check out our pieces on:

Amy West
Amy West

I am an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering all things TV and film across our Total Film 🐷and SFX sections. Elsewhere, my words have been published by the likes of Digi🅰tal Spy, SciFiNow, PinkNews, FANDOM, Radio Times, and Total Film magazine.