Benedict Cumberbatch recently shared his hilarious reaction when he found out that Robert Downey Jr. would be returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) as the iconic Doctor Doom. During an interview for Variety’s Sundance cover, Cumberbatch explained that he was completely shocked by the announcement and immediately texted Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige with a mix of disbelief and excitement.
“I texted, ‘What the heck?’ and then quickly corrected myself, adding, ‘Good what-the-heck. I mean, good what-the-heck,'” he confessed. The big reveal took place at last year’s Comic-Con, where Downey made a dramatic entrance wearing a mask. The crowd erupted in cheers when he unmasked himself, leaving fans and Cumberbatch alike in awe.
Cumberbatch, who is known for playing Doctor Strange, has shared many memorable moments on-screen with Downey’s Iron Man, especially in Avengers: Endgame. However, it’s unlikely that Doctor Strange will be facing off against Downey’s Doctor Doom anytime soon. The character is set to appear as the villain in 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday, marking Downey’s return to the MCU, but Cumberbatch won’t be joining him in this particular film. He casually admitted, “Is that a spoiler? Forget it!” when revealing this.
Cumberbatch also opened up about some changes to Doctor Strange’s role in the upcoming Marvel movies, particularly after Jonathan Majors, who was originally set to be a major antagonist in the MCU as Kang, was removed from the franchise due to legal issues. With Kang’s storyline scrapped, the film’s narrative was rewritten, which ultimately impacted Doctor Strange’s involvement.
Now that Downey’s Doctor Doom is the main villain, Cumberbatch explained that Doctor Strange’s absence from Doomsday is simply because his character didn’t quite fit into that part of the story. But don’t worry—Cumberbatch teased that Doctor Strange will play a much bigger role in 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars, where he’s likely to be central to the direction of the MCU’s future.
Fans hoping for a reunion between Downey and Cumberbatch on-screen will have to wait a little longer, but Cumberbatch reflected on how he initially felt stiff in his Doctor Strange role. Watching Downey’s effortless banter with Tom Holland in Spider-Man: Homecoming helped Cumberbatch get into the swing of things and embrace the fun dynamic of the Marvel universe.