Thor 2 Avoided Disaster By Passing On Benedict Cumberbatch’s Villain Casting

Benedict Cumberbatch, who now plays Doctor Strange, was almost cast as one of the MCU's most forgettable villains in Thor: The Dark World. Benedict Cumberbatch made his MCU debut in 2016's Doctor Strange as the titular character and quickly became one of the most popular characters in the shared universe. The next Cumberbatch-led MCU film, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, is shaping up to one of the most important Phase 4 entries as it delves deep into the multiverse and pits strange against an evil variant of himself. However, this central role in the wider MCU is only possible because of a fortuitous casting decision in 2012.

The Story of Marvel Studios: The Making of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a book quickly that is rising in popularity, reveals that Cumberbatch was originally considered for the role of Malekith the Accursed in the Thor sequel. Christopher Eccleston was ultimately cast to play the Thor villain, in what most audiences consider to be one of the most forgettable MCU releases. Eccleston's performance failed to save Malekith's character from bad screenwriting and a shallow motivation, with many critics deeming the Dark Elf as one of the worst villains of the MCU.

While Cumberbatch could have made for a better villain given his role in 2013's Star Trek: Into Darkness, casting him as Malekith would have robbed both him and MCU viewers from experiencing his excellent portrayal of Doctor Strange. Marvel Studios have done a stellar job when it comes to choosing the right actors to bring their iconic characters to the big screen, and Cumberbatch's Strange is no exception. Wasting the Sherlock actor's talents on a two-dimensional villain such as Malekith would have been a huge mistake, especially given what he has been able to achieve as Strange so far.

Stephen conjures red balls of magic in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

Much like Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark, it's hard to imagine any actor other than Cumberbatch playing Stephen Strange. What makes Cumberbatch even a better fit for the character is that he was the one to suggest playing Strange during his meeting with Feige. The same book reveals that Kevin Feige and the rest of Marvel Studios had Cumberbatch in mind for the master of the mystic arts before they even met with the actor, and that Cumberbatch himself brought up Doctor Strange during their meeting. Even though Cumberbatch would have certainly elevated the character of Malekith, holding off on casting him in The Dark World proved to be one of the best decisions Marvel's casting team could have made.

Cumberbatch has already had quite a journey in the MCU. While he did not appear in Thor: The Dark World, he did get to interact with Chris Hemsworth's God of Thunder in its follow-up, Thor: Ragnarok. Since then, Doctor Strange has played a significant role in some of the MCU's biggest event films, such as Avengers: Endgame and the recent Spider-Man: No Way Home. Cumberbatch's MCU future looks to be even brighter, as he looks to take center stage in Phase 4 with the release of his highly anticipated second solo film, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, just around the corner.

More: What To Expect From Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness