Benedict Cumberbatch Gets Real About the MCU's Biggest Problem
One of the MCU's biggest stars admitted that it is almost impossible to show the emotional depth and development of the character in the conditions the Marvel actors are bound by.
Many MCU fans would say that the Avengers movies are so good and successful because their characters are very well-developed. However, the actor playing one of the most significant Avengers to date, Benedict Cumberbatch, admitted to The Talks that playing Doctor Strange is not his biggest acting achievement. The actor opened up about the challenges of trying to incorporate emotional honesty and depth into the Marvel character.
After the death of Tony Stark and the retirement of Captain America, Doctor Stephen Strange has become a key character in the MCU's Infinity Saga. If some MCU fans doubted that after Avengers: Endgame, Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness have proven that Doctor Strange is bound to become a conduit of sorts between now and Avengers: Secret Wars.
Besides, he has taken on the role of mentor for two younger superheroes, Peter Parker and America Chavez, which symbolically puts him in Iron Man's shoes and at the top of the Avengers list.
Despite being a major and beloved MCU character, Doctor Strange could use some development and emotional depth, according to Benedict Cumberbatch. The two-time Academy Award nominee admitted that it can be hard to show the character's depth under the conditions Marvel actors are placed in on the set of the Avengers.
"It can be tough getting that one moment of emotion absolutely nailed in five minutes because that's all the time they have because of the other, bigger things around it," the actor said.
It makes sense considering how CGI heavy Marvel projects are and how little time each star gets in any given Avengers movie. The greater part of the time Cumberbatch and his co-stars spend on the set actually consists of acting in front of a big green screen.
Cumberbatch added that besides having too little time to develop a character, epic events Marvel heroes often find themselves in act as a restraining factor as well. It is often more important "to service the story" rather than show the character's depth and development.
Nevertheless, Cumberbatch praised the performance of his co-actors, especially highlighting the work of Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark.
"It was wonderful to watch Robert. It is wonderful to watch him, and to watch people who really know what they are playing inside out," Cumberbatch said.