On August 22nd, we reported on a possible Doctor Strange appearance in Thor: Ragnarok, considering a certain image showing Thor studying a business card denoted with the following, very telling address: 177A Bleecker Street — the home address of Doctor Stephen Strange. Now, does this image guarantee a trip to the good doctor’s Sanctum Sanctorum, or is director Taika Waititi simply acknowledging Strange’s existence in the MCU? Either way, confirmation hasn’t occurred yet, not officially, but Doctor Strange lead Benedict Cumberbatch may have just confirmed it….accidentally.
Cumberbatch, speaking with (and interviewing) Tom Hiddleston for a piece in the aptly-titled trade, InterviewMagazine (via ComicbookMovie), talked about joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and somewhat inadvertently, his involvement with the cast of Thor: Ragnarok. Pay special attention to the highlighted section where Cumberbatch “slips up.”
“I felt it was all about the part rather than everything else. I’ve been to Comic-Con, and it’s a very nice way to give back to the fans that drive these things. It was quite scary. I felt like Pink Floyd. It’s just like, “Hello, hi,” after the fans are all screaming. That side of it is just phenomenal, and it makes me giggle, and I don’t know whether I’ll get used to that. I can’t wait to see how it expands the universe. I’m also part of your crew! It’s an amazing cast of actors. And it’s the most fun hard work you’ll ever do, I think, as an actor. They really know how to treat you right. And the material is challenging, witty, and a lot of fun to do. Doctor Strange is a complex, funny, but exciting character.”
Now, when he says “your crew,” is he specifically referring to the cast of Thor: Ragnarok, or to the MCU in general? The fact that he says “your” while addressing Hiddleston compels me to believe the former.
Directed by Taika Waititi, Thor: Ragnarok debuts November 3rd, 2017, starring Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Tom Hiddleston (Loki), Idris Elba (Heimdall), Sir Anthony Hopkins (Odin), Tessa Thompson (Valkyrie), Karl Urban (Skurge), Mark Ruffalo (Hulk), with Jeff Goldblum (Grandmaster) and Cate Blanchett (Hela).
