Back when the first Doctor Strange movie came out, lead actor Benedict Cumberbatch often spoke about visiting a comic book store in New York near the location where the movie was being shot while dressed in full Doctor Strange regalia. A few photos taken by the people inside the shop at the time have since made their way online, and recently, the director of the movie, Scott Derrickson, shared the full video he made of the incident with the following message.
Never before shown moment.
While shooting in Manhattan right in front of a comic book store, I spontaneously suggested to Benedict that he go inside and he agreed. pic.twitter.com/ge2DcqWpu1
— N O S ⋊ Ɔ I ᴚ ᴚ Ǝ ᗡ ⊥ ⊥ O Ɔ S (@scottderrickson) July 28, 2020
The video starts with Cumberbatch casually strolling into the comic book store, where people recognize him instantly. The actor then heads over to the front desk to talk to the owner, who immediately brings out an edition of a Doctor Strange comic to compare with Cumberbatch’s look. A round of photos later, the actor excuses himself to return to shooting, at which point the store owner tells him there is always a job waiting for him in the store if he were so inclined. Benedict Cumberbatch jokingly referred to the incident in later interviews.
“I went into a comic book store on the last day of shooting in New York [dressed as Doctor Strange]. I didn’t buy any comics, but I offered my services. I said, ‘Look, if the film doesn’t work out, I’ll come and stack the shelves for you.”
The entire incident is a cool, and rare, crossover between the cinematic juggernaut that is the MCU, and the world of comic books that birthed the movement in the first place. While showrunners like Kevin Feige and the Russo Brothers are avowed comic book fans with a deep knowledge of the lore that they are mining for their movies, the actors are often less aware of the comic history of the superheroes they play onscreen. Cumberbatch and Derrickson’s acknowledgment of the comic culture that birthed Doctor Strange is the kind of fan service that audiences love even more than movie easter eggs referencing the comics.
Right from his debut, Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange has established himself as an integral member of the MCU, and his upcoming standalone movie titled Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will kick things up a notch by opening the doors to the MCU multiverse. The movie will see Strange discover an infinite number of alternate Earths with a host of variations of existing superheroes, and perhaps some new ones as well, like the Fantastic Four, and the X-Men.
Directed by Sam Raimi, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness stars Benedict Cumberbatch, with Chiwetel Ejiofor returning as Baron Mordo, and Elizabeth Olsen, who will be seen in a supporting role as Wanda Maximoff aka Scarlet Witch. The film is currently scheduled to hit theaters on March 25, 2022 if shooting gets completed on time.