Benedict Cumberbatch Prefers Playing Villains Over Heroes

LOS ANGELES, CA — Actor Benedict Cumberbatch recently shared his thoughts on playing villains versus heroes during a Reddit AMA session. When fans posed the question, Cumberbatch revealed that he finds it more enjoyable to take on villainous roles.

“I think it’s definitely more fun to play a villain,” he said. “But if you have a character arc in a hero that challenges them to be compromised with obstacles that are delightful and as brilliant as the best villains can be, it’s often fun to play the hero. Inhabiting a villain is a license to take vicarious thrills in the worst of our nature.”

Cumberbatch has portrayed the character Stephen Strange, also known as Doctor Strange, since the release of 2016’s Doctor Strange. He returned to the role in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness in 2022, following appearances in several Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films, including Thor: Ragnarok, Avengers: Infinity War, and Spider-Man: No Way Home.

As rumors circulate about Cumberbatch’s involvement in future MCU projects, fans are particularly eager to see him in upcoming Avengers films, with Avengers: Doomsday scheduled to be released on December 18, 2026, and Avengers: Secret Wars to follow on December 17, 2027.

Earlier this year, Cumberbatch hinted that Doctor Strange might be featured in subsequent storylines, although he has been careful not to confirm anything officially. His versatility is also evident in his roles outside of the superhero genre, where he has often played complex, darker characters, such as Khan Noonien Singh in 2013’s Star Trek Into Darkness and Smaug in The Hobbit series.

Following the recent release of The Roses and The Phoenician Scheme, fans can look forward to Cumberbatch’s next project, a new British drama titled The Thing with Feathers. The film, directed by Dylan Southern, is set to hit theaters in the United States later this month.