Benedict Cumberbatch speaks of a refreshing move from detective to magical surgeon, and the challenge of keeping it real
Hong Kong: We are at the swanky Ritz Carlton in Hong Kong for a preview of select footage from Doctor Strange, the newest offering from Marvel Studios. Set to release on November 4, the film will see, for the very first time, actor Benedict Cumberbatch in the garb of the superhero based on the original 1960s-70s comic series by Stan Lee.
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The British actor best known for his portrayal of the fictional detective in the BBC television series Sherlock, will perform martial arts and mind-bending magic. The film’s plot, an origin story, follows Dr Stephen Vincent Strange — an ambitious and unerring neurosurgeon but also egoistic (sounds like Sherlock?) – who loses the power of his hands, through which many a nerve-wracking operation has been performed. It is only after Strange meets The Ancient One (played by Tilda Swinton), that he realises that he has been looking in the wrong direction.
President of Marvel Studios Kevin Feige clicks a selfie with Benedict Cumberbatch, Tilda Swinton and Scott Derrickson at the premiere. Pics/marvel; disney
When the role of Doctor Strange came to Cumberbatch, it has been reported that the actor was not available to take it up. According to Marvel’s president Kevin Feige, he was in such high demand, that Marvel had to wait till Cumberbatch was free. Directed by Scott Derrickson, Doctor Strange is set to revise all that you had in mind about Cumberbatch.
Edited excerpts from the interview:
You were 19 when you first came to India, on a year off from academics, to teach English to Tibetan monks near Darjeeling. Can you tell us about that time?
I got to learn a lot more than what I taught. I didn’t know the mother tongue but had done a brief course in teaching English as a foreign language. It was a cultural exchange – they were curious about my life. That was for me the way this film is – an East-West crossover. Of course, East and West don’t have the same meaning anymore.
What’s really carried on for me is the meditation. I was 19 then and I have carried on the journey till now. So, meditation is an integral part of your life?
(Laughing) I can’t say I am enlightened. If I had done it every day, I might have been sitting here differently or
floating. Mindfulness in any form of meditation is a fantastic thing to do. The feeling of being grounded, aware and responsible — it all feeds into my being as a 40-year-old actor.
Were you a fan of Doctor Strange when growing up?
Not at all. I had read Asterix, the traditional English comic strips like Beano and The Dandy and some other American comics, but these weren’t a big part of my growing up. However, I think through cinema, through the movie iterations of these comics, I became a fan. Like Tim Burton’s Batman and its soundtrack to which we sang and danced in school.
Given your roles, you’ve earned a reputation as the thinking woman’s sex symbol. Do these characters – intellectual
over-achievers –interest you?
The reason I very often take up these roles is because there is a hook, or selfishly, to do something different. People say that I play lots of clever people doing smart stuff, but that’s been just four or five of them — Julian Assange, Sherlock, Doctor Strange and Khan [in Star Trek into Darkness; 2013], though he is super human. These are all different forms and different worlds; their only similarity is that they are all massively intelligent. And as an actor, you have to pull those off, not just through accents, but also their physicality. I have played characters that have little intelligence, like my own, and I welcome roles that are interesting and intriguing.
After playing Khan, this is your first role as superhero. How did you go about choosing the part?
The part found me, as you would have heard. There is a definite correlation between [who I am] and the role of Doctor Strange; I am bringing something of myself to the roller coaster ride he is on. I am coming to this role as a 40-year-old and I have to keep it real. My eyes are wide open to potential pitfalls. I have been keeping it real since the beginning of my career unlike a lot of people who get these breaks when they are in their 20s. Having said that, many in their twenties that I meet are far wiser than I ever will be.
You were shooting for scenes with The Ancient One in Nepal last year for Doctor Strange, soon after the earthquake
struck. What was it like filming over there?
Nepal was a really good environment for us to begin in. After the earthquake, it was important for me and later, Marvel and Disney, to film there. The movie was scripted to have scenes there and we wanted to show that this place can support a juggernaut of a film and that it is open for business. What was remaining from the earthquake was not just architecturally but also the spirit of the streets and the people.
You have always been known as Sherlock. Do you think fans and audiences will now remember you as Doctor Strange?
[Playing Doctor Strange] is refreshing from Sherlock. The first time I was asked this, I froze a bit under the headlights. I think my gravestone will carry my own name, and whatever else other people wish to write is just the narrative. I know who I am. There will be other iconic roles that I hope to play in the future; let’s
see how I ride.
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