I know that I've stated this previously...but there was no other casting news in this past year that pleased me more than Benedict Cumberbatch playing Dr. Stephen Strange in director Scott Derrickson's upcoming Marvel film, "Doctor Strange." This is a film I personally have been waiting on for a long time, and the fact that Cumberbatch is on board sets my addled mind at ease...something that rumors of Joaquin Phoenix failed to do, quite honestly.
During an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Cumberbatch opened up about playing the Master of the Mystic Arts, and when he was asked if taking on this role was a risk, he said:
"I don't think it's a risk because of Marvel. Marvel is a stable of bringing out ordinary comic characters and turning them into screen-like gods. It's very different, it's an Astral Plane. There's a huge new element to this Marvel universe that's going to be employed in building this story and this character. But you know, I'm really excited about it, about working with Scott [Derrickson] whose imagination is endless, and all the boys and girls at Marvel who know what they're doing. I've got a few things to get under my belt first. I've got to do that little stage production of "Hamlet" in the summer and the Christmas special of "Sherlock," which we start shooting in about three days' time - Whoops! Yeah, that's there."
For those not familiar with the world of Dr. Strange, the Astral Plane is the second of seven levels of existence. The others include Physical, Causal, Akashic, Mental, Messianic, and Buddhaic planes. They all have connections to the physical world that only psychic beings can visit. It's definitely going to be a wild new element to explore in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The actor was then asked if he would be heading to the Himalayas to shoot the movie, and this was his reply:
"Ahh ... you'll have to wait and see. I'm not going to be eked out on any spoilers or reveals now. It's quite a way off but I'm very excited about that spiritual dimension, obviously. It's something that's been a huge part of my life."
Cumberbatch goes on to talk about meditation, his experience with monks in Darjeeling and whether he would ever take on the mystical arts:
"I meditate a lot. That's a huge tool in trying to calm myself, get away from the crazy circus of it all, have a focused mind as well as be a kinder, considerate person in the world. I took a lot of stuff away from my experience in Darjeeling, West Bengal, right at the Nepali border. It was Tibetan Buddhist monks in a converted Nepali house in India, with a view of Bhutan. It was a profoundly formative experience at a very young age. It's something I've tried to keep in my life. It features already."
Then, in case you were curious (as I was) if the actor ever read the "Doctor Strange" comics growing up, he admits:
"Growing up, no. I didn't read many comics at all. "Asterix" a bit. I think that was it. There weren't many comics in my household - [in a self-mocking voice] 'I'm so deprived.' We didn't have Marvel so much. But you can bet your bottom dollar I'm reading them now, avidly."
The "Dr. Strange" film is part of the third phase of Marvel's grand plan, and it's scheduled to hit theaters on November 4, 2016. Yeah, that seems quite far away...but there will be lots of other great Marvel films to watch between now and then, so don't fret, true believers.
