Through its many ups and downs, Saturday Night Live has remained a staple of television, often reflecting the most prevalent aspects of culture through its sketches and celebrity guest stars. The shows ratings recently hit a high for its 42nd season by drawing humor from a particularly tough pill to swallow - the recent U.S. Presidential election. Though this managed to draw the very public ire of presidential candidate, Donald Trump, for his unflattering impression by Alec Baldwin. Fortunately, the show's recent celebrity hosts have been top notch - including Margot Robbie (Suicide Squad), Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton), Emily Blunt (Sicario), and Tom Hanks (Sully).
Benedict Cumberbatch's star has been rapidly on the rise - from fan-favorite shows like Sherlock to villainous roles in The Hobbit and Star Trek into Darkness, then an Academy Award nomination for his depiction of Alan Turing in The Imitation Game. Despite all this, Cumberbatch has never hosted Saturday Night Live. Set to star next month in Doctor Strange as the next major Marvel superhero, it seems that his time has finally come.
TV Line has announced that Benedict Cumberbatch will be hosting SNL on November 5th, the night after Doctor Strange's U.S. release date. Solange Knowles will be the accompanying musical guest star.
It's worth noting that SNL will be taking off the weekend of October 29th, which will make Cumberbatch's appearance the only remaining show before the presidential election. It's a good bet Kate McKinnon's Hillary Clinton or Alec Baldwin's Donald Trump will show up one last time to duke it out for the presidency, but it seems even more certain that Doctor Strange will make an appearance. Marvel heroes are no strangers to SNL, having often made an appearance when the actors beneath the capes join the cast. Cumberbatch has already proven game to play Doctor Strange for humor via a sketch on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
Cumberbatch may not be particularly well known for comedic roles, but his fans know that he doesn't take himself too seriously, despite his seeming intensity. Part of Sherlock's appeal comes from the dry humor and fun chemistry between Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman's (The Hobbit) Watson. Other than Strange, Cumberbatch's Sherlock is the most likely bet to make an appearance SNL. Either way, he'll surely be in fine form among the silliness of live comedy.
Is there a particular sketch you'd like to see Cumberbatch a part of? Let us known in the comments section and stay tuned to Screen Rant for updates on SNL and Doctor Strange as they hit.
