The critically acclaimed artist stars in ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’, which hits theaters this weekend
Acclaimed actor Benedict Cumberbatch (London, 45) has a host of brilliant characters that reflect the complexities of the human experience. Thanks to Doctor Strange, Cumberbatch’s career reached the pinnacle of Hollywood. He gave birth to the Sorcerer Supreme and first appeared in ‘Avengers: Infinity War’, and since then we’ve seen him interpret the character within the Marvel universe up to six times. After his critically acclaimed role in “The Power of the Dog,” Cumberbatch is now making his seventh appearance in director Sam Raimi’s “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.”
-Is Doctor Stephen Strange the role that defined your career?
-Yes absolutely. He is one of the most important characters in my career. Doctor Strange has given me the reach and financial freedom to be able to support, nurture and fund smaller things – stories I couldn’t bring to screen otherwise. So I’m incredibly grateful for this opportunity, for this complex, rewarding and fun character to play. I love being Doctor Strange.
– Do you walk into the future with the character?
I am on your journey. I like to interpret it, take up the challenge to show it from different perspectives. A movie like this is a long-distance race, more like a marathon than a full immersion for a short period of time, and that’s incredibly satisfying. The level of concentration required contrasts with the childish joy I feel when I pretend to be a flying man who is completely different from me.
-Doctor Strange makes you believe in magic?
-The magic of cinema is a fantastic muscle that must be exercised. It amuses me to create authenticity literally out of thin air. That’s the magic I believe in.
Do you see Doctor Strange as an optimistic superhero?
He is very human, he has many flaws, but he is optimistic. Despite his arrogance, his humor and a few other weird things, he’s a little clueless in this movie. He evolves from his need for control, his obsession with perfection, to becoming someone better and stronger within a team. When he is alone he feels weak and being part of a group is very positive for him. Like Strange, we all need to find a community where we can show our optimism.
-The movie ‘Doctor Strange’ has been censored in Saudi Arabia for a scene where the two lesbian mothers of one of the characters appear.
-I’m very glad we’re not censoring this movie to please a regime. It’s unfair that many fans are denied the film because of the inclusion of an LGBT character, but unfortunately it was to be expected. Saudi Arabia is a tyranny and I find it extremely negative that there are people in a country whose sexuality can lead to imprisonment, torture and even execution. To think that this was a problem of the past is a mistake and the censorship of a cultural event highlights the real danger to the people of that community in that country.
-You mentioned that this movie is a personal investigation of Doctor Strange, do the characters he plays make you reflect?
It’s a strange form of public therapy to show aspects of human nature that I may or may not share with the characters. I think there’s a really elegant element to making the audience believe I’m the character. For me, there is nothing more fascinating than creating an experience or a perspective on life that is not mine. With Doctor Strange, his reflections made me feel like I was doing personal therapy. The multiverse allows us to see the acceleration in the character’s evolution and how he becomes someone he wasn’t at the beginning of the movie.
-Is this film a veiled critique of individualism?
-Probably. Now we all have complex lives and multiple digital personalities. We are entering the metaverse and soon we will have many other digital selves in an unexplored universe where we will work even with our dreams. All of that is reflected in the film and culturally it is part of the predominant narrative at this point. It’s not something invented by our writers, the writers didn’t have to scratch their heads, the metaverse is something we already have in our society and however you look at it; From politics to society to religious beliefs, which used to motivate entire groups of people, there is a kind of exploration of individualism in every field. I believe that entertainment makes the headlines that ravage the world, and I like to think that my movies share the spirit of what is happening in our society.
-You always recommend British or American authors, and I was wondering if you’ve ever read an author who writes in Spanish.
– Apart from the classics, like Cervantes of course, I don’t remember any, would you recommend one?
– Roberto Bolaño, for example.
-I’ll read it, I’m always interested in discovering new authors.
Source: La Verdad
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