Benedict Cumberbatch Reveals Which Line He Improvised In Avengers: Infinity War
Benedict Cumberbatch has been busy for the last year and a half. Recently, the esteemed British actor discussed his roles in several upcoming films like Jane Campions period drama The Power of the Dog and, of course, Marvel Studios' Spider-Man: No Way Home. In regards to his MCU character, Doctor Strange, Cumberbatch revealed that he actually improvised one of the character's most memorable lines in Avengers: Infinity War.
2018's Avengers: Infinity War saw many of the MCU's most beloved characters cross paths for the first time. The epic crossover movie event saw characters like the stoic Thor team up with the ridiculous Guardians of the Galaxy, as well as Bruce Banner meeting and making a fool of himself in front of the Wakandans. Fans also got to see a clash of the MCU's biggest ego's when Doctor Stephen Strange and Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) were forced to finally meet.
Early on in Avengers: Infinity War, Doctor Strange seeks out Tony Stark after the former is abruptly introduced to Bruce Banner crashing through his ceiling. There's immediate friction between the Strange and Stark, which shouldn't be surprising considering how similar and arrogant they both are. This makes for lots of classic MCU banter and funny lines, including a moment where Stark asks Strange, “What exactly is your job, besides making balloon animals?” to which the Sorcerer Supreme replies, "It’s protecting your reality, douchebag.” Well, it turns out that aptly timed "douchebag" was a Cumberbatch original touch.
“I remember on the set when I called him a douchebag, there was this sort of ripple effect. ‘Oh my God. Did you just call Iron Man a douchebag?’ They kept it, good for them. And then, it got the same kind of response at the cinema," Cumberbatch said to The Hollywood Reporter. "I was just … I got bored of being compared to Liberace or whatever other retorts the guy with the same camp goatee had opposite me, so I tried to knock him down. It’s great fun to play with that stuff. You find your feet. The more times you do it, the more familiar it becomes.”
The rest of the interview largely focuses on Cumberbatch's villainous role in the upcoming Netflix film The Power of the Dog, which is sure to be a departure for the usually friendly actor. Cumberbatch also discussed the sacrifices and dedication required to film the upcoming Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which was primarily shot in London throughout the height of the Pandemic. "People made such sacrifices," Cumberbatch told THR. "Some of their children were going to school, and they weren’t necessarily going to be sleeping in the same part of the house, or even in the same house. I was really, really blown away by that.”
While Downey Jr. is known for his improvisational approach to playing Stark, it's nice to see that other actors are afforded that freedom in the MCU. In the interview, Cumberbatch says he was inspired to play around with the dialogue after watching Spider-Man actor Tom Holland riffing on the set with Downey Jr.
Avengers: Infinity War is now available on Disney Plus.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
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