Benedict Cumberbatch definitely didn’t expect this from his Marvel colleague. News about the return of one of the key figures from the Marvel Universe caught Doctor Strange so off guard that he didn’t hold back his reaction.
As the actor confessed in a recent interview with Variety, he was one of the last to find out about Robert Downey Jr.'s return after the death of his character, Iron Man. In Avengers: Endgame (2019), Iron Man sacrificed himself by using the Infinity Stones to defeat Thanos, ultimately losing his life in the process.
It turns out that in real life, Doctor Strange and Iron Man weren’t as close as their characters were in the movies. This explains why last year, when Robert Downey Jr. announced his return to Marvel as the villain Doctor Doom, it took Cumberbatch by surprise.
The actor admitted that his first reaction was mixed.
“I texted, ‘What the ***?” the actor said without hesitation about messaging Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige. However, he added that this was out of complete astonishment and that he was more than happy for his co-star.
“Good what-the-***. I mean, good what-the-***.“
