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Benedict Cumberbatch On His Journey From Hamlet To Doctor Strange

By Sumdima | Update Date: Oct 26, 2016 02:00 PM EDT

After heralding the role of 'Hamlet' successfully on stage, Benedict Cumberbatch is all set to take on the world of comic books with his new role as 'Doctor Strange.'

The film, 'Doctor Strange' tells the story of a surgeon, Stephen Strange, who after traveling to a mysterious mountain community, learns supernatural powers that can bend time and space.

Cumberbatch revealed that he leaped at the chance of playing this action hero who is instructed in martial arts alongside magic.

Cumberbatch confided in an interview that he never knew of Doctor Strange until it was passingly suggested by a journalist that he would be perfect the role. The actor said that his collection of comics in his growing days mainly comprised of 'Asterix' and 'Tintin' until his first brush with the world of Superheroes with Tim Burton's 'Batman' film.

Cumberbatch also revealed his fascination for the artworks of 'Doctor Strange' comics by Steve Ditko explaining them as 'beautiful, other-worldly,' attributes that could also be used to the look of his film, 'Doctor Strange.'

It is said that the studio was hellbent on getting Cumberbatch to play the surgeon turned sorcerer role of Doctor Strange that they even pushed back the production and stalled the release until the actor was available to take on the role.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Cumberbatch detailed his personal workout routine for his superhero role as 'Doctor Strange.' He called it the Shakespearean diet because he started training for it while he performing 'Hamlet' in London. He said he'd do an hour of training in the morning and then rehearse 'Hamlet' all day. Then once the show was up and running, he'd train in the morning, go to the studio to rehearse 'Doctor Strange' and then go back to perform 'Hamlet' after that. In words of Cumberbatch, "Hamlet was a three-hour cardiovascular workout."

'Doctor Strange' is scheduled to hit the theaters on Nov. 4 this year.

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