Should I be the one to say it? I’m into Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange. Bendy has an odd/beautiful lizard-face, and I’m predisposed to liking facial hair on most men, so I’m already in love with the fact that Bendy’s Doctor Strange is rocking a goatee. It looks nice on him. Entertainment Weekly’s new cover is the first “official” look at Doctor Strange, although we did already see some photos of Benedict and Chitwetel Ejiofor on the set in Nepal. EW did an interview with Bendy too – you can read the full piece here and here are some highlights:
Benedict on learning how to be Strange: “I’m still in the infancy of learning all that. It was like, okay, I’ve got to keep throwing these poses, these spells, these rune-casting things, everything he does physically. I’m thinking, there’s going to be a huge amount of speculation and intrigue over the positioning of that finger as opposed to it being there, or there. And I’m still working on that. We haven’t played any of those scenes yet. I felt really self-conscious. But, then, by the end, it was great. It’s like anything, you just have to experiment.”
The visual effects: “There’s going to be crazy s—t going on.”
Like many Marvel projects, Doctor Strange is cloaked in secrecy. EW says that in the coming days, they’ll reveal which characters Rachel McAdams and Mads Mikkelsen will be playing in the film. We already sort of know that Tilda Swinton is playing The Ancient One and that Chiwetel will be Strange’s friend-turned-nemesis. I think. Maybe. I hope EW also has more photos of Benedict with facial hair/face-merkin of lies.
Cover courtesy of EW, additional photos by WENN.
…I have to admit the fan art I’ve seen of someone drawing him as Dr. Strange was more amazing than this cover.
http://screenrant.com/doctor-strange-benedict-cumberbatch-fan-art/celeber-ru/
You’re right his lizard face really works well for this character who is The Sorcerer Supreme, but that light brown hair is no bueno.
I still believe Keanu Reeves would have made a better ‘Dr. Strange’ because I think he’s a good match and the right age. From what I recall of Dr. Strange when I was a kid, he had gray hair above each temple, he wore dark suits when out in public and not ‘active’ as a super hero, and he had dark-hair-dark eyes-dark, a mustache, and (sometimes) a trimmed beard and goatee.
http://static.comicvine.com/uploads/scale_super/4/49076/2011121-dr_strange_movie_writers.jpg
http://cdn.bleedingcool.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/doctor-strange-169.jpg
http://www.scifimoviepage.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/doctor_strange.jpg
Having said the above, I’m sure Benedict Cumberbatch will ‘BRING IT’ as Dr. Strange. 🙂
AT first glance I thought it was Ethan Hawke. Though that’s not much of an improvement.
I was actually wondering if they styled him to look like Pierce Brosnan, photoshopped him to look like PIerce Brosnan, or both.
No, Gracias
same.
Ditto
Thirded.
fourth’d … not that’s a word. K’s lovejoy over this guy … will never understand. He’s not that great of an actor or kind to his fans.
I’m only going to see it for Mads. Benedict does nothing for me as Steven Strange,
I’m going to see it because of Rachel. Hope she saves it.
Seeing it for Mads, Rachel, Chewitel, and Tilda. Plus I see all the Marvel films for the continuity from one film to the next but I think, for the first time, they may have miscast the lead actor. Cumberbatch cannot do an American accent.
I’m going to see it for all of them.
He looks like he should be wearing a flannel shirt and playing in a crappy band.
And singing “Smells Like Teen Spirit.”
I thought Kumbaya…
No way. Brown Eyed Girl, while looking soulfully at some girl.
Aw no, not Van Morrison, the man is a legend, Cumby deserves something much more wimpy – it’ll go with the Merkin he seems to have stuck to his chin – how about ‘Morning Town’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdMPLkXM478
🙂
Thanks, Frisbee, I need ear bleach now.
oops – but can’t you just hear him crooning it though 🙂
Funny, all I can see is the Zig Zag man.
Ah, the addled memories of a mis-spent youth.
Ha! Pretty good.
Nay. Nay on this look, nay in a charaacter of color being portrayed by a white woman, just nay to this movie.. This looks like a bad cosplay tbh I just don’t like it. And the goatee draws attention to the fact that his lips bug me.
“nay in a charaacter of color being portrayed by a white woman”
Seriously?! God they never freaking learn do they?
Apparently not since all you need to do is cast a woman and people will happily cry ‘yay girl power!’ Even though it’s always a white woman getting the role. I would’ve loved to see an older Chinese actress get the role since I think the ancient one is supposed to be from thereabouts.
Of course they replaced a Tibetan character, gotta get that market share from China.
What made it even worse was the pr posing with monks in Tibet during filming, like they were props for goodwill for the movie.
@ zapp brannigan aw Tibet. So may be a Tibetan actress?
If you look at the comic character, he *does* look like this so…yay? 😐
Eh I can’t make a judgement call. I need to SEE him playing Strange.
Sigh. I could grow a better goatee. WTF, Hollywood makeup/FX people? Grab some tossed wiglet from the Travolta collection and clip it into The Batch’s lady beard. I love him, and this cover would have been great except for that 12 yr old boy grows his first facial hair look.
That was my thought too. This would be a good look except for the balding roadkill on his lip.
Marvel fans would go see this one no matter who played Strange, so not worried about the box office … I love Mads and Rachel so will not miss this for anything. I really can’t imagine him playing the superhero but maybe he will amaze me.
I’m convinced it’s a Merkin. They went into the wrong box…
it’s great for an ew first look (these aren’t usually quite the final product). he looks like the character more than id thought when he was cast tbh
“I’m only going to see it for…” “Am i the only one who…” “I don’t think he’s the right choice” bla, bla, bla. Shut the f*** up guys, no one here watched the movie, can’t y’all just wait to see it and then judge?
You realize they tote out thess promotions specifically so we can judge. I hate these kinds of complaints because they ignore the point of marketing and handwace specific valid criticism or the buzz the movie is supposed ro be getting like we should just twiddle oyr thumbs until the movie comes out. If you don’t want to see opinions on the movie why even come to a gossip site where the point is to offer an opinion?
Well you showed us. It’s not like movie studios actually need to SELL consumers on going to their movies, right?
@None: Ditto
yes and no?
marvel is more interested in general population noticing the movie than the opinion of marvel fans because more than half the butts in the seats are casual moviegoers.
that’s also why DC ignored all the OTT outrage from DC fans over Affleck as Batman. they didn’t care that fans didn’t want affleck but the press worked to their advantage because it increased consumer awareness of the movie
“I’m only going to see it for…” “Am i the only one who…” “I don’t think he’s the right choice” bla, bla, bla. Shut the f*** up guys, no one here watched the movie, can’t y’all just wait to see it and then judge?”
Aww shut up Sophie.
but I am not likely to see it -i just find the look a bit greasy and somebody else might have changed my mind.I might have gone for Tilda and Etifor but this has put me off even more
I’m going to see it because I’ve watched every Marvel movie so far.
He looks like the character but let’s see if he can pull off a Marvel character as well as be a big box office draw as he is yet to prove himself as one.
I’m still sad Jake Gyllenhaal isn’t playing Doctor Strange. But at least it’s not Joaquin Pheonix?
Actually, I think Joaquin would have nailed this part. I wish he had agreed to do it. But he turned it down. So, we’ll see how the guy who has never pulled off an American accent does.
phoenix would have messed up press tbh. i think he’s an excellent actor but he often comes off as a creepy perv to me lol so i’m glad he didn’t take it
Yeah I like Phoenix but he can’t do the Marvel press aka you have to be charming, nice & travel all over the world. Cumberbatch has done it for his Oscar campaign & doesn’t mind it plus it helps that he has his fans who are obsessed with him (not going to call them the name they use, sorry)
Pedro Pascal for me
Yes!! That would have been amazing.
He is giving me Walter Mecado vibes here haha!
He is giving me Ming the merciless vibes.
He’s giving me “needs to wash his hair” vibes.
He’s giving me “that’s got to be a Merkin on his chin” vibes…
He’s an amazingly talented actor whose apparent niche is playing quirky, semi-savant characters with unique abilities (intellectual and otherwise). Why would anyone doubt he will pull off this role with aplomb? It IS his wheelhouse.
Yep. And he looks good.
I don’t know.. I think that facial hair helps with his weak chin area. I’m not into these movies so don’t really care. But I don’t think facially he looks bad.
The high collar and facial hair certainly helps
I don’t particularly like the look but hopefully there are no tights.
He is a really good actor, though, who knows how to play arrogant, different etc. It will be good, I have no doubt.
I will see it for him and the rest of the amazing cast.
I’m interested in seeing this, so color me intrigued. Bendy could be good as Strange and I’m even more excited about the rest of the casting.
That being said, after watching Daredevil and Jessica Jones, I’m becoming a bigger fan of Marvel TV than Marvel films. I really like what they’re doing on Netflix.
They’re a lot darker than the films.
I am not a Marvel person by any stretch of the imagination, but I just finished watching the whole season of Jessica Jones over Christmas time, and I was surprised how much I enjoyed it. David Tennant was wonderfully weaselly, and the other characters were all very well played. I found the whole story quite gripping too, in a suspended belief kind of way. Well worth a watch IMO. Netflix seem to be at the cutting edge of interesting material. Finally, someone giving Hollywood a run for their money.
I found Jessica Jones riveting.
Can’t wait to see what they do with Luke Cage and Iron Fist.
Jessica Jones is wonderful! I was engaged (and thouroughly creeped out) all season.
Yay!!!!
He looks really good in that top pic, which is to say he doesnt look like Benedict Cumberbatch.
hahahaha!
He looks great, I don’t get the hate he gets, the guy is a very good actor.
Some of it are former fans who are pressed he got married to not-them and are insistent his “fake marriage” is destroying his career.
Eh. It wasn’t the marriage that did him in for me. It happenned long before, the moment he went Hollywood. It’s like a switch flipped, and suddenly the guy I’d loved in Sherlock, had been intrigued/scared by in Wreckers and had my heart broken to bits by in Third Star was gone in a puff of smoke.
Ah ok, I really don’t follow his personal life, but I’ve seen a few episodes of Sherlock and The Imitation Game, and in my opinion he’s talented. Also, while he is not conventionally attractive, he is charming.
I actually stopped caring after the crappy third season of Sherlock, compounded by the endless coverage of him on here. Overexposure killed my tiny bit of interest. I still follow his career, but I no longer find him all that fascinating.
Couldn’t care less that he married.
It was his personality put me off a long time ago. He used to be charming in a dorky fun kind of way and then he just went all pissy. Lately its hard to tell the difference between him and his wax statue. There’s no spark or personality in his interviews anymore.
Not to mention him referring to POCs as “coloured” amongst other unpleasant slip-ups. I can do without him.
i never liked him.
Loads of people dislike him for other reasons. But fluff’s right, a small but vocal minority of CB posters went from being obsessed with him to willing him to fail (while still stalking his every movement).
@Fluff
For a “reasonable” fan, you sure seem keen on bad mouthing his fans every chance you get.
It’s pretty typical when an actor is moving up, danielle. It’s partly because he or she has to expose him or herself more to the general public, which leads to overexposure in smaller fandom circles. Another factor is ardent fans, who taint the actor for others and have entitlement issues that crop up.
Good news for the actor is that those people are often, by far, the small minority (fishbowl effect) and for longevity, you need everyone but them really. Web whiners aren’t a good look for anyone’s brand.
I’m looking forward to seeing the film. The cover photo above is actually the least interesting photo of the ones from the EW online slide show. I think he was a great choice, but I, too, disembarked the Cumberbitch train some time ago. I think his wife is beautiful and don’t get all the hate there, but *he* started drinking his own bath water long before he married her. I checked out because of him…not because of her.
ETA: I like the pictures, but his comments are typical Cumberbatch off-putting to me for some reason. Not sure why when he “says words” these days, I have an automatic eye-roll response. I used to find his awkward way of saying things so endearing. Oh well.
right those other photos are way better? I just saw them
didnt have an issue with his comments, but he summed up how id probably feel if it were me lol
I think his wife is pretty as well, but not sure how it counters the “hate”. So, if she wasn’t beautiful, the hate would be justified?
@timbuktu +100 when is hate based on physical appearance ever justified?
@Timbuktu — Two separate, unrelated observations. I said “I think his wife is beautiful” AND “I don’t get the hate”. I didn’t say “I think his wife is beautiful SO I don’t get the hate”.
Was a fan of the acting, but he has behaved like a bozo during his Oscar campaign and it set me off him. His naked push at all costs for it was such a turn off. That and now I can’t unsee the otter resemblance. Still think he is a good actor though.
I’m in. I like the look. And Bendy will give the character depth.
Is that a TARDIS I see before me, claps hands excitedly!
Honestly, his costume looks a bit cheesy, but his face okay (I don’t find him hot). Earthier colours for the outfit would have been better.
Nay. His absolutely insane fans have utterly ruined any enjoyment I could get from him. They’re worse than the dragonflies, I swear. But I’m going to have to have this in my face for weeks. FML.
Yay. He looks cool and mysterious, I like it. He is also very talented even though some of you don’t want to recognise it. As for the villain MADS YAY
Benedict and his wife visited critically ill kids at Great Ormond Street Hospital over Christmas (which tons of other celebs did too), but kept their visit super private (whereas some of the other celebs brought publicists and professional photographers and released the photos to the media officially). The only way anyone even knew about the visit is because the mother of one sick child posted a single photo (that didn’t even show Sophie because she took the photo) on her personal Instagram. The hater fans have decided this is a PR stunt, and accused the mother and the child of lying, accused the hospital of lying and forcing patients to lie, and speculated that the child might not even be sick but a child actor.
Yep. That’s how low Benedict Cumberbatch fans have stooped. Spending Christmas cyberstalking and trolling the mother of one of the most ill children in the country, while accusing the nation’s leading children’s hospital of participating in a fraudulent PR stunt. Because a single IG photo of Ben with a single comment saying “his wife was also there” is totally how you do PR. It’s not like Ben and Sophie could have easily brought a photographer and released the pics to the media like most celebs do, if they wanted PR.
disgusting