Benedict Cumberbatch Reveals Behind The Scenes Details in 'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness: The Official Movie Special'

Coming this month to bookstores, Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness: The Movie Special will takes fans into the behind the scenes of the hit film Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, where Doctor Strange returns to take audiences on a journey into the unforgettably bizarre as he battles to stop the Scarlet Witch from wiping out millions of lives.

Lavishly illustrated with stunning behind-the-scenes images, Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Xochitl Gomez, Benedict Wong and other members of the cast and crew, including acclaimed director Sam Raimi, reveal the secrets behind the creation of Marvel Studios’ most outlandish film to date.

You can pre-order and then pick up the book on February 14, 2023 at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Indiebound or wherever you purchase books.

And we're proud to present an excerpt from the book, featuring an interview with the film's star, Benedict Cumberbatch as he discussed reprising his role as the sorcerer in Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness.

INTERVIEW WITH BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH

Benedict Cumberbatch returns as Doctor Strange as he faces his greatest and most terrifying challenge – a trip into The Multiverse!

What is the most exciting thing about returning to the role of Doctor Strange?

Oh, there’s a lot that excites me in this film. It’s his second solo outing but we’ve seen a lot of him in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, most recently in Marvel Studios’ Spider-Man: No Way Home. It’s always a thrill when you know you’re going to be challenging a character and testing his limits and then seeing how those challenges reshape him. And at the same time it’s a vehicle for the most fantastic new phase of Marvel Studios, this fourth phase of the universe.

How do you feel about the film’s darker tone?

I’m very happy that there is a darker tone to it. Frankly, the first film did as well when you think of the upheaval he experienced in his life and the test of his character, as a man who’s at the top of his game. He’s arrogant, but with some good reason as this extraordinary brain surgeon who then has his hands ruined in a near fatal car crash. That’s quite a dark place for a character to come back from. But, Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness takes in a whole other realm of the possibilities of what could go wrong to the character. If you think in terms of light and darkness, if you think about even the comedic and tragic mask of drama, the conflict between those two things has a very rich, relatable, universal side to it. It’s what life is. There’s an amazing amount of invention in the movie and thrills and spills and new characters and unexpected plot twists and developments. But at the same time it holds two very separate tones. One is very dark, and the other irreverent, snarky and fun and very much the character that we’ve come to know. There are some moments which are very scary in a kind of horror vein. Sam Raimi is a master of that genre. It’s a very Sam Raimi flavored film, which brings its own excitement.

How did you find working with Sam Raimi on the film?

He’s a joy, Sam is such a lovely human being. His standing in this industry and the horror genre in particular, is legendary, but he wears all that so lightly. He’s just a very humble, collaborative, supportive and generous human being to work with. He’s got a great sense of humor and is an actor’s best first audience. He really encourages you to push ideas and go for it, but he also has got the good taste to dial it down or up when needed. It was a really lovely set to work on. The crew revered Sam as much as the actors did. I think he took to it so enthusiastically. It was a difficult thing to come on and do a project like this. Sam wanted to understand it as much as make it his own. And whether it’s jump scares or whether it’s more traditional Sam Raimi horror fare, it’s all there, along with great humor and a lighter touch.

Pre-order Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness: The Movie Special and then pick up the book on February 14, 2023 at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Indiebound or wherever you purchase books.