Benedict Cumberbatch Confirmed to Play Doctor Strange

December 4, 2014 6:09 PM EST

Marvel confirmed Thursday that Benedict Cumberbatch will star as Doctor Strange in the superhero movie of the same title.

Cumberbatch, the British star of TV’s Sherlock and the new movie The Imitation Game, was long-rumored to be in line for the part: a former surgeon entrusted with the power to protect Earth from mystical and extraplanetary forces. It’s an apt choice, and not just because of the actor’s distinctive look; as early box-office returns for The Imitation Game have borne out, Cumberbatch’s fan base is unusually ardent.

The announcement about the film, which will release on Nov. 4, 2016, puts an end to months of speculation on who would play the character and sets in motion the foundation for the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Actors ranging from Johnny Depp to, most recently, Joaquin Phoenix have previously been tied to the role of Doctor Strange before Cumberbatch, with rampant online speculation that the character will eventually be groomed to replace Iron Man as the core of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Doctor Strange is part of a group of Marvel films known as Phase 3, which include the likes of Captain America: Civil War and Guardians of the Galaxy 2, and will take place after the events of the second Avengers movie.

It will be a sharp step away from the plausible pseudo-science, first broached by Iron Man, that dominates the Marvel movies and will introduce the more strange and fantastical elements of the Marvel Universe.

Benedict Cumberbatch Roles You Didn’t Know About

**Van Gogh: Painted with Words** This 2010 docu-drama by the BBC starred Cumberbatch as the tormented Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh.BBC

**The Other Boleyn Girl** Cumberbatch plays William Carey, a courtier and husband to Mary Boleyn (Scarlett Johansson) in this 2008 historical drama pic.Columbia

**Amazing Grace** Cumberbatch played William Pitt the Younger, the youngest ever Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, in this 2006 drama about banning the slave trade in the British Empire.Samuel Goldwyn

CREATION Directed by JON AMIEL — **Creation** Cumberbatch (right) played Joseph Dalton Hooker, an esteemed British botanist and close friend of Charles Darwin (Paul Bettany), in this 2009 British film about Darwin.Newmarket

Stuart A Life Backwards — **Stuart: A Life Backwards** This 2007 television drama co-produced by the BBC and HBO starred Tom Hardy as the titular character Stuart Shorter, a homeless activist, with Cumberbatch as Alexander Masters, an author and friend of Stuart.HBO

**Parade's End** The BBC and HBO teamed up for another Cumberbatch series in 2012 with *Parade’s End* which saw the actor play Christopher Tietjens, an English aristocrat and statistician for the British government.BBC

"WAR HORSE"film still.(left to right) Major Stewart (Benedict Cumberbatch), Lieutenant Waverly (Pa — **War Horse** Cumberbatch (left) takes on the role of Major Jamie Stewart, the leader of a cavalry company in World War I in this 2011 war drama by Spielberg.Disney

Benedict Cumberbatch (Paul Marshall) on the set of Atonement — **Atonement** Marking one of his creepier roles, Cumberbatch played a rapist named Paul Marshall in this 2007 British drama that starred James McAvoy and Keira Knightley. Universal

**Fortysomething** Cumberbatch plays Rory, the son of Paul Slippery (Hugh Laurie), in this six episode 2003 British comedy television series.ITV

**Starter for 10** This 2006 British comedy had Cumberbatch (second from right) take on the role of Patrick Watts, the smug team captain for a British game show called University Challenge.Picturehouse

Benedict Cumberbatch Roles You Didn’t Know About

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