Benedict Cumberbatch teases what's next for 'Doctor Strange' as he graces historic Vanity Fair cover

Benedict Cumberbatch
(Image credit: Getty Images)

The Power of the Dog lead Benedict Cumberbatch has spoken about his beloved Marvel role in Doctor Strange, in a special interview with Vanity Fair.

The star appeared as part of their historic 28th annual Hollywood Issue, which saw him posing for photoshoots alongside the likes of Spencer lead Kristen Stewart, The Suicide Squad's Idris Elba, and Tick, Tick... Boom!'s Andrew Garfield.

In his interview, Benedict teased what's next for his character ahead of the Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness release later this year, as it hits the big screen in May.

Speaking about the film's special effects, he told Vanity Fair: "It’s a big moment for Strange. We can bring our game to this large tentpole fare and give it an authenticity and a heartbeat and something that makes it not just effects-laden nonsense."

We'll have to wait until May to find out exactly what that means, but Marvel fans everywhere are keen to see what's next for the brilliant neurosurgeon, whose full title is Dr. Stephen Strange. But judging by this quick teaser, we should expect some big cinematic moments!

The first Doctor Strange film was back in 2016, where we saw the titular doctor severely injure his hands in a car crash, leaving him permanently unable to operate. This devastating life event changes the course of his life forever, and after trying to heal himself with experimental surgeries, ends up training under the Ancient One and Mordo.

It's a big year for Benedict Cumberbatch as not only is he appearing in the latest instalment of the Doctor Strange story, he's also been nominated for Best Actor at both the 2022 Oscars and 2022 BAFTAs, with his film The Power of the Dog leading nominations across many categories.

His co-stars Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons are also up for awards, with Kirsten revealing how she broke the Oscars news to her "shell-shocked fiancé". In addition to this, star Kodi Smit-McPhee is up for the Rising Star Award, which is the only BAFTA to be voted on by the public.

Doctor Strange is available on-demand via Disney Plus, while The Power of the Dog is streaming exclusively on Netflix. 

The anticipated sequel Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness premieres in cinemas on May 6, 2022.

Lucy Buglass
Senior Staff Writer

Lucy joined the WhatToWatch.com team in 2021, where she writes series guides for must-watch programmes, reviews and the latest TV news. Now she works for our sister site TechRadar in the same role. Originally from Northumberland, she graduated from Oxford Brookes University with a degree in Film Studies and moved to London to begin a career writing about entertainment.

She is a Rotten Tomatoes approved film critic and has a huge passion for cinema. She especially loves horror, thriller and anything crime-related. Her favourite TV programmes include Inside No 9, American Horror Story, Stranger Things and Black Mirror but she is also partial to a quiz show or a bit of Say Yes to the Dress