--- title: Doctor Strange: Benedict Cumberbatch Talks Transformation description: When Doctor Strange hits theaters, audiences will get to see Benedict Cumberbatch transform from Dr. Stephen Strange into Doctor Strange. canonical: https://time.com/4496007/doctor-strange-benedict-cumberbatch-transformation/ author: Megan McCluskey article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-09-15T20:38:12.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T07:36:37.870Z og:title: Benedict Cumberbatch Talks Dr. Strange’s Transformation og:description: "Strange is incredibly arrogant, brilliant, sort of extraordinary" og:url: https://time.com/4496007/doctor-strange-benedict-cumberbatch-transformation/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt547f0bb5d27ba70f/69889b74f887dc048fe9695c/benedict-cumberbatch-headshot.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3000 og:image:height: 1688 og:image:alt: "Black Mass" - Virgin Atlantic Gala - BFI London Film Festival - VIP Arrivals og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Benedict Cumberbatch Talks Dr. Strange’s Transformation twitter:description: "Strange is incredibly arrogant, brilliant, sort of extraordinary" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt547f0bb5d27ba70f/69889b74f887dc048fe9695c/benedict-cumberbatch-headshot.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Benedict Cumberbatch Talks Dr. Strange’s Incredible Transformation in New Featurette > Sponsored content. 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The Brief is available free at time.com/newsletters, where readers can select it along with any of TIME's other six newsletters. There is no subscription required to receive it. #### Is The Brief free? Yes. The Brief is a free daily email newsletter from TIME. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes The Brief? The Brief is led by editor Richard Hall and draws on reporting from TIME's newsroom. Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically.  by [Megan McCluskey](https://time.com/author/megan-mccluskey/)  ## Megan McCluskey Staff Writer Sep 15, 2016 8:38 PM UTC  LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 11: Benedict Cumberbatch attends the Virgin Atlantic gala screening of "Black Mass" during the BFI London Film Festival at Odeon Leicester Square on October 11, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by David M. Benett/Dave Benett/WireImage) LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 11: Benedict Cumberbatch attends the Virgin Atlantic gala screening of "Black Mass" during the BFI London Film Festival at Odeon Leicester Square on October 11, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by David M. Benett/Dave Benett/WireImage)David M. Benett—Getty Images  by [Megan McCluskey](https://time.com/author/megan-mccluskey/)  ## Megan McCluskey Staff Writer Sep 15, 2016 8:38 PM UTC When [_Doctor Strange_](http://time.com/4420799/benedict-cumberbatch-doctor-strange-trailer/)hits theaters Nov. 4, audiences will get to see [Benedict Cumberbatch](http://time.com/4401732/andy-murray-benedict-cumberbatch-wimbledon/) transform from neurosurgeon Dr. Stephen Strange into Sorcerer Supreme Doctor Strange, his superhero alter ego. In a new featurette released by [Marvel](http://time.com/4394478/iron-man-riri-williams-tony-stark/) Entertainment Thursday, the _Sherlock_ star speaks about the metamorphosis his character undergoes when he begins to train in the mystic arts with the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton). “Strange is incredibly arrogant, brilliant, sort of extraordinary. And his need to control fates, to control destiny and, in particular death, has brought him to the height of his profession as a neurosurgeon,” he says. “\[His training\] brings out this spiritual dimension which he never knew was possible and he soon realizes he’s potentially someone who can help on a grander scale than he’d ever imagined actually existed.” Watch the full clip below. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4496007/doctor-strange-benedict-cumberbatch-transformation/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4496007/doctor-strange-benedict-cumberbatch-transformation/"},"headline":"Benedict Cumberbatch Talks Dr. Strange’s Incredible Transformation in New Featurette","datePublished":"2016-09-15T20:38:12.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T07:36:37.870Z","description":"\"Strange is incredibly arrogant, brilliant, sort of extraordinary\"","url":"https://time.com/4496007/doctor-strange-benedict-cumberbatch-transformation/","keywords":["Newsfeed","movies","Benedict Cumberbatch","doctor strange"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt547f0bb5d27ba70f/69889b74f887dc048fe9695c/benedict-cumberbatch-headshot.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Megan McCluskey","jobTitle":"Staff Writer","url":"https://time.com/author/megan-mccluskey/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt547f0bb5d27ba70f/69889b74f887dc048fe9695c/benedict-cumberbatch-headshot.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"\"Black Mass\" - Virgin Atlantic Gala - BFI London Film Festival - VIP Arrivals","caption":"\"Black Mass\" - Virgin Atlantic Gala - BFI London Film Festival - VIP Arrivals","creditText":"David M. 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