As one of the most versatile actors in Hollywood, Benedict Cumberbatch’s filmography boasts of many memorable roles that have showcased his vast talent. The British star, who is now synonymous with the mystical Doctor Strange in the MCU, has also had the opportunity to be part of another big franchise, Star Trek, in which he played Khan Noonien Singh in the 2nd film of the rebooted movie series.
J.J. Abrams, who directed the 1st two films of the rebooted trilogy, had a very different aesthetic, which saw many of the actors including Cumberbatch filming half-n*ked scenes. For one particular shower scene, the Marvel star went through rigorous training and diet to get into shape, but found out later that this sequence was edited out from the film.
This Film Made Benedict Cumberbatch Literally Sweat It Out And It Wasn’t In The MCU
Playing Doctor Strange in the MCU expectedly required Benedict Cumberbatch to stay in great shape, given the thrilling action that he was part of in many films. The actor himself admitted that he put his body through the wringer to bring the character to life (via The Late Late Show with James Corden) Interestingly though, the star was made to work much harder on his physique for his role in another popular franchise, Star Trek.
The British actor played Khan Noonien Singh in 2013’s Star Trek Into Darkness. The character is a genetically engineered superhuman who is given the false identity of Commander John Harrison. Cumberbatch shared screen space with the likes of Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto and Zoe Saldana in this rebooted film series directed by J.J. Abrams.
For one scene, the MCU alum was required to film a shower sequence, for which he was asked to get his body in shape. In an appearance on Conan, the star revealed the rigorous diet and exercise regime that he followed to ensure that his body was perfectly sculpted for this scene.
But as luck would have it, it was all for nothing as the scene was eventually cut from the film. Cumberbatch though, took this in his stride like the true professional he is, and stated,
I thought, ‘Oh, well, never mind.’ A lot of chicken I ate and a lot of other things and just a hell of a lot of working out, and that’s gone, but that’s fine. That’s how you roll when you’re doing movies.
The Sherlock star also sportingly became the victim of laughs when he saw this deleted scene publicly with them on the Conan show.
What Is Benedict Cumberbatch’s Future As Doctor Strange?
While Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man and Chris Evans’ Captain America could be considered the faces of the Avengers, Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange added another important and significant layer to the MCU. The character, who was integral to many narratives in the franchise, has become synonymous with the Sorcerer Supreme through his performances.
The Oscar nominee featured in his second standalone film in the franchise in 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which went on gross over $950 million at the box office globally (via The Numbers). While these statistics contributed to it being a success, the movie also received criticism from various corners.
With the Marvel franchise and the MCU moving forward with multiple narratives in Phase 5 and key characters like Iron Man and Captain America having ended their reign, the question around the future of Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange seems to be on top of fans’ minds.
But the actor himself revealed in an interview with The Playlist’s Bingeworthy Podcast that he was no more aware of this information than the audience. Speaking about the possibility of a 3rd standalone movie and his involvement in other future MCU films, he confessed,
Who knows! We will see. We will find out. I’m not sure where he’s been and what he’s been up to and who with, but yeah, I know as little as you.
But going by his most recent chat with Netflix, the British actor may have possibly let the cat out of the bag by replacing his earlier ambiguous reply with a major hint about his future in the franchise. When asked if he would be involved in Avengers 5, he said,
It’s been a pretty lovely relationship with that [Marvel] ever since [being cast. I’m very much looking forward to Avengers next year, which is cooking up a storm.
This statement could only be pointing to the fact that the star is looking forward to the film, which may not necessarily mean that he would be part of it. But die-hard fans will be hoping fervently for the latter to be true.
Star Trek Into Darkness can be rented on Apple TV.
