While watching the live coverage, Benedict Cumberbatch was shocked to discover that Robert Downey Jr would be making a comeback in the MCU.
Benedict Cumberbatch also recalled his interaction with Downey. (Photo Credits: Instagram)
Marvel fans weren’t the only ones surprised when Robert Downey Jr was announced as Doctor Doom during Marvel Studios’ San Diego Comic-Con presentation last July. Benedict Cumberbatch was just as shocked. Watching the live coverage, the Doctor Strange star was taken aback to see his former Avengers: Endgame co-star stepping into the iconic villain’s armour. His reaction? Unfiltered. “I texted Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, ‘What the f***?’ and then quickly added, ‘Good what-the-f***. I mean, good what-the-f**,'” Cumberbatch revealed with a laugh during a recent interview.
While fans eagerly anticipate seeing Downey’s take on the enigmatic and cunning Doctor Doom, Cumberbatch reflected on his own Marvel journey, which began in 2016’s Doctor Strange. For the British actor, the leap into the MCU was a transformative experience, though not without its challenges. During a conversation with Variety, he also shared some details of his friendship with Robert Downey Jr.
“I was a bit stiff,” Cumberbatch admitted, describing his initial performance as the Sorcerer Supreme. Adapting to Marvel’s unique storytelling process, with its green screens on-the-fly rewrites and massive scale, took some getting used to. However, an unexpected turning point came while observing the dynamic between Robert Downey Jr and Tom Holland on the set of Spider-Man: Homecoming.
“I learned a lot by seeing how at ease and improvisatory they are. It’s hard because you have this huge apparatus around you, but it’s so important,” he explained.
Cumberbatch also shared fond memories of Downey’s cheeky humour during their time together on the Avengers films. “He’d call me ‘Mr. Shakespeare,’ which was hilarious,” Cumberbatch recalled, noting how their shared history of playing Sherlock Holmes led to some great laughs.
“We had a gas about being the two Sherlocks on set,” he said. At one point, a playful line was proposed where someone said, “No s***, Sherlock.” However, both actors decided against including the meta-joke. “We just said, ‘No, no, no. Better to leave that for the fan fiction,'” Cumberbatch recalled.
Despite the occasional ribbing, Cumberbatch holds the MCU in high regard. He praised Marvel Studios for their ability to create epic, modern-day myths that resonate with audiences across generations.
“It’s the modern myths of our times. Yes, it’s huge and unwieldy, but Marvel is so committed to getting it right. Even when we make one of these Avengers films and it gets exponentially huger, we’re still just kids playing in the sandpit. We’re still just making shit up and having fun with it,” he said of the superhero genre.
While Cumberbatch confirmed he won’t reprise his role as Doctor Strange in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday, his respect for Marvel’s ambitious storytelling is evident. As for Downey, stepping into the shoes of Victor Von Doom promises to be one of the MCU’s boldest moves yet.
Marvel fans can look forward to Avengers: Doomsday hitting theatres in May 2026, with Avengers: Secret Wars following in May 2027.
