Benedict Cumberbatch: these are the lesser-known films of the actor who plays Doctor Strange

This year the British starred in “Dr Strange in the universe of madness” which grossed more than 955 million dollars. (Marvel)

A few decades ago, the actors who made big blockbusters, those who took people to the movies, did not usually make more independent or festival-style films. On the other hand, those who made auteur films, those that win prizes around the world, did not participate in blockbusters either. However, that has been left behind and now the actors can be and make the type of films they want and thereby demonstrate their versatility.

That is the case of Benedict Cumberbatch, who only last year participated in the highest grossing film of 2021, Spider Man: No Homecoming, and that same year he was in each of the award ceremonies in which he was also nominated for the independent film the power of the doga film that by the way was only streaming through Netflix.

benedict cumberbatch is known worldwide for his character of Dr. Strange in the UCM (Marvel)

Benedict besides being dr strangeloved by children and young people all over the world for this character from Marvel. He is also one of the most recognized actors in the industry, thanks to his versatility that has so far given him two Oscar nominations, one for the power of the dog and another for The puzzle code.

Although today he is an actor whom almost everyone recognizes from popular movies like Stark Trek: Into the Dark, Zoolander 2 or any of Marvel in which Dr Strange has been involved, there are some other feature films that due to their nature did not reach theaters around the world or perhaps had a brief run on their way through theaters. For this reason, below is a brief review of those little-known films of the British actor that are on platforms and in which he does not necessarily have the leading role but manages to stand out for his performance.

Actor Benedict Cumberbatch arrives at a Dr Strange fan event ahead of the release of the Marvel film 'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' in London, Britain, April 26, 2022. REUTERS/Hannah McKay
Actor Benedict Cumberbatch arrives at a Dr Strange fan event ahead of the release of the Marvel film ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ in London, Britain, April 26, 2022. REUTERS/Hannah McKay

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

In 2011 Benedict placed himself under the orders of the Swedish Thomas Alfredson to participate in this feature film full of intrigue and spies where he becomes a cold spy and apprentice of Gary Oldmanwho for this film was nominated for Best Actor in the Oscar. This feature film, which is currently available on hbo max, takes place in the 70s, during the cold war. It is at this moment that the failure of a special mission in Hungary causes a change in the leadership of the British secret services.

One of the defenestrated is agent George Smiley. However, when he had made up his mind to retire, he is given a new mission: it is suspected that there is an infiltrator at the top of the Service and only someone from the outside can find out who he is. With the help of other retired agents, Smiley will collect information and put together the necessary pieces to discover the traitor.

The film is played by Gary Oldman, as George Smiley, with the participation of Colin Firth, Tom Hardy. (Studio Channel)

BlackMass

This 2015 film is based on the 2001 novel “Black Mass: The True Story of an Unholy Alliance Between the FBI and the Irish Mob” written by Dick Lehr Y Gerard O’Neill. In it, the 45-year-old actor arrived after Guy Pierce abandoned the project. Cumberbatch plays Billy Bulger, brother of James ‘Whitey’ Bulger (Johnny Depp) and throughout the film he took the attention of the public that instead of seeing him as a secondary actor, felt that he stole the film.

This police drama that can be seen on hbo max is set in Boston in 1975. There James Whitey Bulger (Depp) is one more piece in the middle class of organized crime. Everything will change with the arrival in the city of FBI agent John Connolly (Joel Edgerton), who offers the gangster to work as an informant in exchange for helping him annihilate his mafia rivals.

Barry Levinson was originally going to direct the film based on the life of Whitey Bulger, the Boston crime boss. (Warner Bros.)

a brilliant war

This is one of the most problematic films in which the actor has been, due to its long pre-production processes but also to the editions that it had. The film was originally produced by Harvey Weinstein (co-producer of the film and responsible for its distribution), who ordered the director various changes that were not favorable and after which the critics detested the title. However, after the Harvey scandal, Alfonso Gomez-Rejondirector of the feature film released a new cut of the film but critics and audiences were not pleased with the result either.

This is a historical drama set in the late 19th century where two brilliant minds, Thomas Edison (Cumberbatches) and George Westinghouse (Michael Shannon), compete to create a sustainable electricity system and be able to market it in the United States in what is known as the ‘war of the currents’. The film that is available through hbo max shows the rivalry between both characters in the nineteenth century to seek control of electricity.

The film did not have critical support despite having two different editions (HBO)
The film did not have critical support despite having two different editions (HBO)

The Courier

In this film, the British actor returns to the spy genre and after the good reception it had at its premiere at the Sundance, the film was bought and distributed internationally. It’s a 2020 title and Benedict He plays Greville Wynne, a real-life businessman who was recruited by the British and American secret services during the 1960s.

Without any knowledge of the actual mission he was going to carry out, Wynn was asked to do some business meetings in the Soviet Union, where he eventually came into contact with dignitary Oleg Penkovsky, played by Merab Ninidze. Penkovsky was a defector seeking to pass vital information to the West in order to prevent a full-scale war. Wynn had to choose between his personal safety and the future of his country.

Due to the Covid pandemic, the film’s release was delayed until March 2021. (Warner Bros.)

The Mauritanian

This was one of the most acclaimed films of 2021, but also one of the most ignored by members of the academy who did not nominate it for Oscardespite the fact that in its festival run it was nominated for awards such as the Golden Globe. In this feature film, Cumberbatch gives life to officer Stuart Couch, who in his work witnesses the turtles and humiliations that are made to an innocent man imprisoned in Guantanamo. During the press tour of this film, the actor spoke about his refusal to face this type of situation, not only in Guantánamo.

The Mauritanian tells the story of Slahi with a script heavily inspired by his memoir Guantanamo Diary, which became a multilingual bestseller in 2016 after being censored by the US military, only to be published in its entirety after its release. in the hands of Rory Haines, Sohrab Noshirvani, MB Traventells how the writer was interned in the detention camp of Guantanamo on suspicion of recruiting the 9/11 hijackers.

The film also stars Jodie Foster and was ignored at the 2021 Oscars (BBC)

KEEP READING:

We want to give thanks to the author of this short article for this awesome material

Benedict Cumberbatch: these are the lesser-known films of the actor who plays Doctor Strange