You can go ahead and add Benedict Cumberbatch’s name to the list of Hollywood stars (and directors!) debating over Marvel movies and, more specifically, whether they should be classed as ‘cinema’ or not.
Late last week, Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, and Francis Ford Coppola threatened to kick the hornet’s nest when they dismissed the likes of Avengers: Endgame (and movies cut from the same cloth) as sub-par blockbuster machines designed for the sole purpose of making money.
Regardless of which side of the fence you find yourself on – or even if you’re perched somewhere in the middle – Doctor Strange himself, Benedict Cumberbatch, offered a more pragmatic response while promoting The Current War on The Jenny McCarthy Show (h/t Collider).
Essentially, he’s of the belief that moderation is key:
I know there’s been a lot of debate recently with these very fine filmmakers coming to the fore saying that these film franchises are taking over everything, but lucky us actors who get to do both kinds of variety at either polarity of budgeting. And I agree, you know. We don’t want one king to rule it all and have a kind of monopoly and that. And hopefully that’s not the case, and we should really look into continuing to support auteur filmmakers at every level.
And we couldn’t agree more. Of all Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, Doctor Strange is one of the few to have a brand new movie to look forward to in MCU Phase 4. Its name? Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which promises to be another mind-bending trip into the Quantum Realm and its many mysteries.
The title also points to the possibility of alternate timelines being incorporated into the plot, though given the May 2021 release date, we likely won’t find out more about the Scott Derrickson-directed sequel until next year, when the MCU will welcome Black Widow and The Eternals into its ranks.
