When Marvel fans think about the pillars behind the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, they usually think of stars like Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow), and Chris Evans (Captain America). Despite featuring in some of the most successful movies in the franchise, Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange) hardly gets any mention.
From influencing Tony Stark’s ultimate sacrifice in Avengers: Endgame to mentoring Peter in Spider-Man: No Way Home, and even giving a peak into the multiverse as early as 2016, the Sorcerer’s importance cannot be overstated. And yet, he’s far down the list of most famous actors in the MCU family.
His lack of popularity is also reflected in his earnings. Downey Jr. became one of the highest-paid actors of his generation while working with Marvel Studios, but Cumberbatch isn’t even in the same realm. Things start to look even worse when his riches are compared to one of his fictional characters.
How Does Benedict Cumberbatch’s Net Worth Compare to His Fictional Character Smaug
Apart from appearing in several MCU movies over the years, Benedict Cumberbatch has also left his mark in another fictional world. He voiced the character of Smaug in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.
The fearsome dragon goes face to face with Martin Freeman’s Bilbo Baggins, as the protagonist and the dwarves look to reclaim Erebor, their homeland from him.
The 2013 epic fantasy adventure was a huge success, managing $959 million at the box office. The Peter Jackson-directed movie became the fourth highest-grossing film of that year.
While the movie couldn’t beat the staggering earnings of Disney’s Frozen, Iron Man 3, or Despicable Me 2 in real life, its producers can at least celebrate the fact that they boast the wealthiest fictional character of all time in Smaug. As per Forbes, the Lonely Mountain’s resident’s treasures are valued at over $62 billion, making even Robert Downey Jr.‘s Tony Stark look poor in comparison.
Needless to say, even the man who voiced the Smaug, is left far behind. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Cumberbatch’s net worth stands at $40 million.
How Benedict Cumberbatch’s Felt During The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug’s Filming
What Cumberbatch feels about the fire-breathing dragon’s treasures that make his net worth look pale remains unclear, but we do know that he didn’t always enjoy portraying one of the most dangerous monsters from The Hobbit trilogy, albeit that experience had nothing to do with money.
Instead, the Sherlock actor felt a bit uncomfortable wearing a motion-capture outfit to effectively translate Smaug’s size and powers on the big screen. He said [via AALBC]:
“It’s really thrilling! We started both characterizations with motion capture physical work in the theater space they call the volume, where all your motions are picked up on these sensors from the reflectors on this weird, rather embarrassing gray jumpsuit you wear. I loved it! The first time I stepped off the volume I felt like a complete kn*b. Everyone fussed over me, offering me coffee or juice.”
Having said that, the 47-year-old insisted that once he got over feeling self-conscious, he enjoyed the “freeing” experience.
Source: Forbes, Celebrity Net Worth, AALBC
