‘Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness’ Review: Benedict Cumberbatch Works His Magic In Sam Raimi’s Marvel Of Horror

After crossing the $200M domestic mark on Monday, Disney/Marvel’s Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness on Tuesday zoomed past $500M global. It is also nearing $300M at the international box office, certain to reach that milestone today.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness star Benedict Cumberbatch has revealed that he once turned down the opportunity to play a Marvel villain.Before taking on the role of the surgeon-turned-sorcerer, the actor was approached to play Malekith the Accursed in Thor: The Dark World, a part that ultimately went to Doctor Who star Christopher Eccleston.Recalling the offer in an interview with BBC Radio 1, Cumberbatch admitted that he was “flattered” to be “invited to the party” but that he was holding out for “something a bit more juicy.”“[The Doctor Strange role] happened as an idea muted after, funnily enough, another little dance I did for another character in the MCU, a very brief character,” he said.“I was bold enough to say: ‘I’m really flattered to be invited to the party, but I’d rather hold out for something a bit more juicy.’”Cumberbatch explained that his decision to turn down the villainous role was partly down to the fact that he’d just finished playing an antagonist in Star Trek: Into Darkness.The actor portrayed the iconic Star Trek villain Khan in the 2013 film. His casting as Doctor Strange was announced a year later.

*You may call this a spoiler, and we’d be inclined to agree, but well, Charlize Theron has said, “the cat’s out of the bag” and posted publicly on social media, so it’s unfortunately, for some, fair game.* Director Sam Raimi’s (“Evil Dead“) return to the world of Marvel Comics has been one of his biggest box office successes as “Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness” has already earned $479 million globally, which is quite the feat given the first film’s total was $677.7 million.

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD! DO NOT READ IF YOU WON’T WANT TO KNOW!

Adam B. Vary Senior Entertainment WriterSPOILER ALERT: This story discusses major plot points in “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” currently playing in theaters.

J. Kim Murphy It’s May in New York City, and what better way to ring in the summer movie season than venturing to AMC Theaters in Times Square for opening night of “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness”?If you and a friend wanted to be among the first to catch Marvel’s latest, the 3 p.m. screening was the earliest possible.

BBC series Doctor Who and Sherlock.The science fiction pro has opened up about the “stressful” time he experienced while working on the popular shows, even sharing the advice he gave to the BBC when he exited Doctor Who. Steven, 60, was showrunner of Doctor Who between 2009 and 2017, creating the series which featured Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor and Peter Capaldi as the Twelfth Doctor.He took over from legendary screenwriter and showrunner Russell T Davies, who revived the historic British sci-fi show in 2004.While helming the hugely popular time-travelling show, he also teamed up with writer and actor Mark Gatiss to create the BBC’s Sherlock, starring Benedict Cumberbatch. When he was interviewed, Steven revealed he had recently revisited his emails from 2010, which was the year he launched Sherlock and became Doctor Who’s showrunner. He admitted that the intense workload of managing both at the same time feels like a distant memory now, but regrets the way he handled the stress. “All I ever did was work and get grumpy,” he recalled. “I was permanently stressed, upset, faintly cross. “Looking back on it now, I’m like, ‘You were having the year of your life!  “‘You’re never going to have another one like that!’” He also revealed some advice he had shared with the BBC when he finally stepped down from Doctor Who. “When I left, I said to the BBC that the show needs so much more money,” he explained.“There’s a tendency to think of it as The Little Engine That Could, this sweet little thing that does remarkably well. “It’s one of the biggest shows in the world – it should swagger like one,” he told Radio Times. With this in mind, Steven is apparently thrilled that the channel is now throwing its full weight behind the

Jazz Tangcay Artisans EditorSPOILER ALERT: Do not read if you have not seen “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” in theaters now. When Benedict Wong was introduced to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2016’s “Doctor Strange” as Wong, the titular superhero’s sidekick and fellow sorcerer, the British actor quickly became a fan favorite. Since, Wong has appeared in “Avengers: Infinity War,” “Avengers: Endgame,” “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” the animated series “What If…?” and “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” But with sequel “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” Wong steps into the spotlight as more than just Doctor Strange’s (Benedict Cumberbatch) right-hand man, but the Sorcerer Supreme.

Anna Tingley If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission. Benedict Cumberbatch and members of the “Saturday Night Live” cast showed their support for women’s rights and Roe v.

Marvel Cinematic Universe following Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness.In the film, Wanda Maximoff aka the Scarlet Witch appears to sacrifice herself to destroy the Darkhold throughout the multiverse, burying herself in the ruins of Mount Wundagore with the evil text.Olsen, who plays Wanda, has since teased however this won’t be the end of the character.“I sign extensions every time they want me to do a movie,” Olsen told Collider. “I just a signed a very short one at the beginning, so everything’s constantly just, it’s always adjusting for me.

EXCLUSIVE: Fresh off her second BAFTA win last night for British drama Help, Killing Eve and The Last Duel star Jodie Comer has found her next project in the shape of feature thriller The End We Start From, which will be a hot package at next week’s Cannes market.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media ReporterFor the past two years, box office reports have been accompanied by a COVID-shaped asterisk: Ticket sales were [insert adjective of choice] for a pandemic.After all, “Wonder Woman 1984,” “F9: The Fast Saga” and every would-be blockbuster in between could have generated more in ticket sales without a devastating global health crisis upending the movie theater landscape.But as “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” debuted to $90 million last October ($10 million more than its predecessor) and “Spider-Man: No Way Home” landed the second-highest domestic debut in history with $260 million, the caveats began to fade. Add in “The Batman” ($134 million debut in March) and “Sonic the Hedgehog 2” ($71 million start in April, $13 million more than its predecessor), and those numbers weren’t just notable for a pandemic, they were plain notable.

Elizabeth Olsen has gone on quite the journey over the course of several Marvel films and the limited series,, which set the character up for her latest evolution as the Scarlet Witch in. While speaking to ET’s Will Marfuggi, the actress opens up about the film’s many cameos and what this latest installment means for her future in the MCU. [: Spoilers for ] In the sequel written by creator Micahel Waldron and directed by Sam Raimi, Wanda, now known as the Scarlet Witch, finds herself at odds with Dr.

Benedict Cumberbatch returned to host for the second time over the weekend, and the celebrated actor kicked things off poking light fun at Will Smith's Oscars controversy.«I really am thrilled to be back hosting . It's been a really fun, great week. I have to be honest though, because most of the sketch writers pitched me sketches every day, and most were about ,» Cumberbatch shared as he stood on the iconic Studio 8H stage. «Which is great, I love the guy, I love playing the character… but I have been in other films.»Cumberbatch joked that Executive Producer Lorne Michaels then asked him, «Like what?»«And I said, 'Well, like .' And he said, 'Nobody saw it,'» Cumberbatch recalled.

Benedict Cumberbatch opted for a relaxed ensemble as he and his wife Sophie went to catch a plane at JFK International Airport on Sunday.The actor, 45, donned abrown plaid coat over a black sweater and a thick gray scarf.He added white pants and brown shoes to the look. Relaxed:Benedict Cumberbatch opted for a relaxed ensemble as he and his wife Sophie went to catch a plane at JFK International Airport on SundayIt appeared that the Doctor Strange star was looking to keep a low profile with sunglasses, a black face covering and matching baseball cap.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness debuted at No. 1 with $265M at the domestic box office from 4,534 theaters this weekend.And with a global total of $450M, Sam Raimi's $200M-budget MCU sequel became the second biggest opening for a Hollywood movie during the pandemic era - according to Deadline.The PG-13 multiverse flick - starring Elizabeth Olsen, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Benedict Wong - has a 75% critic approval rating (out of 315 reviews) and an 87% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Angelique Jackson It’d been six years since Rachel McAdams scrubbed into the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Dr. Christine Palmer, the will they-or-won’t they love interest of Benedict Cumberbatch’s title hero “Doctor Strange.” But while Cumberbatch went on to join the Avengers in their fight against Thanos in the Infinity Saga, McAdams has been MIA since 2016.In 2021, though, the Oscar-nominee reprised her role as Christine for the heart wrenching Doctor Strange-centric episode of “What If?” on Disney Plus, but that was a voiceover role. McAdams still seemed like a no-go for the live action sequel.

Regular viewers of “Saturday Night Live” already know that Chloe Fineman can deliver some uncannily accurate celebrity impressions.

Adam B. Vary Senior Entertainment WriterSPOILER ALERT: This story discusses major plot points of Marvel Studios’ “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” currently in theaters.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” the newest timeline-altering tentpole in Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe, captured a huge $265 million in its international box office debut.Those mighty ticket sales represent the second-biggest opening weekend overseas in pandemic times. Sony’s “Spider-Man: No Way Home” still stands as the highest-grossing COVID-era debut with $340 million internationally.The second “Doctor Strange” film, starring Benedict Cumberbatch as the goatee-rocking sorcerer, generated $185 million in North America over the weekend, bringing its global tally to a massive $450 million.

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media ReporterDoctor Strange and his questionably effective book of spells has summoned a blockbuster $185 million at North American movie theaters over the weekend, reaffirming the box office dominance of Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe after a shakier, pandemic-battered year for the franchise.The timeline-bending “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” represents a return to form for Disney’s MCU after COVID-era releases “Black Widow” ($80 million debut, plus $60 million on Disney Plus), “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” ($75 million debut), and “Eternals” ($71 million debut). Due to the pandemic and other extenuating circumstances, those installments failed to live up to their franchise predecessors in terms of ticket sales.