By: Alec Concejero
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Finally, magic meets mayhem. Benedict Cumberbatch is putting back his cloak of levitation as Marvel’s resident supernatural hero, Doctor Strange, for the upcoming Spider-Man starring Tom Holland.
The move puts Cumberbatch in the mentor role that was previously occupied by Robert Downey Jr., who played Tony Stark/Iron Man in Spider-Man: Homecoming, and by Samuel L. Jackson in Spider-Man: Far From Home, the latter reprising Nick Fury.
With the death of Tony Stark and the absence of Nick Fury who was last seen getting aboard a ship in Spider-Man: Far From Home, the role gives Holland a chance to play opposite seasoned actors and a new father figure.
In the MCU, magic has been described as “the source code that shapes reality.” The Masters of the Mystic Arts are the sworn defenders of the Multiverse, harnessing energy from other dimensions, protecting Earth from extradimensional threats such as the Dread Dormammu. Who better to call dad than someone who’s practically seen it all (14 million scenarios in a few seconds anyone?). If you want to go to even deeper into the possibilities, in the comics, Spider-Man’s spider-sense is interconnected with the Web of Life and Destiny itself, which can play an interesting story alongside The Doctor’s mystic arts and the interplay with the different realities. The doctor turned sorcerer is the perfect candidate for this partnership.
This Spider-Man project already has some unexpected ties going for it as it is bringing back Jamie Foxx as Electro, the actor-character combo last seen in 2014’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2, which featured Andrew Garfield as the web-slinging hero. Questions arise such as whether or not the Garfield version will play a role in the upcoming movie with Jamie Foxx’s Electro in the picture.
Having Strange as part of Spider-Man may help explain the returning Electro. Cumberbatch is about to begin shooting Doctor Strange sequel Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, which will explore alternate realities, and some speculate therein lies the cross-section. Although largely fan-made, posters in social media show posters of Toby Maguire’s, Andrew Garfield’s, and even the animated Miles Morales’ Spider-Man emerging from Doctor Strange’s Teleportation Ring. Imagine four different Spider-Men from different universes in “Spider-Man 3. Sounds like madness? Well, anything’s possible within the multiverse (yes, pun intended towards Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness).
Spider-Man 3 is due to begin shooting in Atlanta later in October while Multiverse of Madness is also due to begin shooting this month, although in London. It is unclear when and where Cumberbatch will shoot his scenes. Marvel and Sony had no comment. Jon Watts, the filmmaker behind Homecoming and last year’s Spider-Man: Far From Home, is in the director’s chair for the third installment, which Sony has dated Dec. 17, 2021, although moviegoers have now come to expect release dates to change thanks to the pandemic.
Most of the supporting cast from the previous movies – Zendaya as MJ, Marisa Tomei as Aunt May, Tony Revolori as Flash Gordon, and Jacob Batalon as Ned Leeds — are expected to be on the call sheet when cameras roll in Atlanta. Can we expect the appearance of other men who have been bitten by radioactive spiders? It’s still unclear, but one thing can be sure: spell casting and web-slinging will happen in Spider-Man 3.
Featured photo from CBR.