Why Doctor Strange Is Benedict Cumberbatch’s Best Role (& 5 Reasons His Sherlock Holmes Was Better)

The actors that have portrayed well-known characters from the pages of books and comics have a way of becoming iconic for their roles. Since the beginning of the MCU, the actors who played the likes of Iron Man, Captain America, and Black Panther have been tagged as being the only actors who could have taken the role. The same is said about Benedict Cumberbatch since he made his debut as Doctor Strange in 2016.

Doctor Strange has become his second-most notable role. Besides playing the Sorcerer, Cumberbatch brought to life a rendition of Sherlock Holmes in the British series, Sherlock. While both characters have similarities and certain distinct appeal, Cumberbatch just might have done better in one than the other.

10 Sherlock: More Mystery To The Character

In the first film where Cumberbatch embodies Doctor Strange, audiences and fans get the backstory to how he came to be. He was once an arrogant and renowned surgeon who loses his ability to have steady hands after a car crash. He then goes on a journey to discover himself and learns the ways of magic.

Benedict’s character of Sherlock is more mysterious. Fans only really know the character because of his notoriety from the acclaimed books and other adaptations. In the show, little is originally known of Sherlock and only small tidbits into his complex mind come to light.

9 Doctor Strange: Wears His Heart On His Sleeve

While Sherlock and Doctor Strange share many of the same character similarities, what makes Cumberbatch’s character of Doctor Strange so resonating is his ability to still empathize. In the beginning, audiences think he’s a jerk and narcissistic much like Sherlock. But Sherlock is this way due to his inability to understand human emotions.

Doctor Strange changes after his accident and comes to see the world a bit differently. The loss of his career and his most prized possession has him feeling distraught. But, he had a soft spot for his love interest that shows more than Sherlock. He learns the ways of magic and comes to realize his new purpose is to protect the other realms and humanity.

8 Sherlock: His Unique Ability For Crime Deductions

Sherlock and Doctor Strange are both highly intellectual in their own fields but Cumberbatch’s Sherlock takes the cake when it comes to his ability to solve crimes and its thrill. This is one of the reasons why the show is so much more fun to watch. It’s a journey into the complex mind of Sherlock and how he is able to see what others can’t.

Cumberbatch’s ability to portray this on-screen is also why it’s so entertaining. While many know that the level of deduction is hard to come by in real life, Cumberbatch makes it convincing on-screen and even at times has viewers in awe.

7 Doctor Strange: The Visuals Help Bring The Character To Life

Cumberbatch is often described as being the only actor who could have brought to life the character of Doctor Strange. Besides his superb acting skills, what made the film so dynamic was its visuals. It’s even more impressive to see behind-the-scenes shots of Cumberbatch embodying the role in front of a green screen.

The movie had an array of filming locations like Kathmandu where Doctor Strange was trying to find the Ancient One. The characters wouldn’t be anywhere without the use of editing to make their magic come to life.

6 Sherlock: There’s A Different Form Of Complexity

While Doctor Strange’s complexity comes from the fact that he thrusts himself into the world of magic and alternate dimensions, Sherlock’s complexity comes from his mind. Fans know that in order for Strange to be able to do magic, he has to control his mind.

For Sherlock, his mind is his biggest advantage and worst enemy. Sherlock’s ability to access his mind leads to complexity when solving cases but also to his overall persona. Since his mind is so advanced, it leads to social issues as well as possible issues with substance abuse. At times he goes down the rabbit hole into the dark corners of his mind and is unable to quiet the noise. Cumberbatch portrayed this in an incredible way that fans applauding him.

5 Doctor Strange: The Tie To A Grander MCU Story

Cumberbatch’s first time on screen as Doctor Strange was only the beginning of his involvement in the MCU. This is what made his role so riveting. Audiences knew that the introduction of this character could lead to new possibilities to interweave multiple storylines with different characters.

Doctor Strange was a missing link to the concept of alternate dimensions besides Thor (Chris Hemsworth). Audiences got to see Cumberbatch really just own the cape of being Doctor Strange. It was a treat to see Cumberbatch not as the comic book character alongside others in things like Avengers: Infinity War.

4 Sherlock: A Much Darker And Aloof Character

An aspect of Sherlock Holmes that Cumberbatch nailed were his social issues as well as the inability to show empathy for others. The Sherlock character is often regarded as such, as it’s even used in Robert Downy Jr.’s portrayal. Sherlock is a good detective but doesn’t understand the concept of why others are upset at things he does or says.

Cumberbatch’s portrayal of this took things to a new level that wasn’t seen before and nor is it seen in Doctor Strange. There’s a cold chill to Sherlock because he sees himself as intellectually superior to others. But it’s also comical as he makes jokes about social cues that annoy him. There’s the moment when his friend finds a head in the fridge and Sherlock is indifferent to it. The aloofness of the character comes from Sherlock doing what he pleases without regard for others.

3 Doctor Strange: A More Mature Character

When comparing the characteristics of Doctor Strange and Sherlock, Sherlock tends to be more immature. Cumberbatch manages to show this immaturity well on screen with Sherlock not liking people’s inability to do simple tasks.  When it comes to Doctor Strange, there’s a level of maturity that’s admirable that Cumberbatch is also able to display.

While still having his wits and tricks while learning magic, he takes things seriously and is willing to learn. He’s also open to the help of others like Wong (Benedict Wong) and understands that things can’t be done alone. He also understands the gravity of his and others’ actions.

2 Sherlock: The Power Play Between Sherlock And Others

The power play between Doctor Strange and Sherlock are different in certain aspects. Doctor Strange has a unique power over the other Avengers because he has the ability to use magic, the time stone, and see alternate dimensions. But Sherlock’s power play is different and Cumberbatch executes it swimmingly.

It’s what makes the character more fun to watch as he disregards certain people like Anderson because his mere presence annoys him. Unlike Doctor Strange, Sherlock takes control of a situation no matter what and twists it to his fancy. Often leaving others unable to do anything. His intellect also plays a role because no one surmounts to his level unless it’s Moriarty (Andrew Scott).

1 Doctor Strange: He’s More Susceptible To The Impossible

A vast difference between how Cumberbatch plays Sherlock and Doctor Strange is their world views. In terms of Sherlock, he believes is logical and absolute. That’s the reason Cumberbatch plays him so to the point and stoic. At one point in the show, Sherlock says the line, “When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”

What makes Doctor Strange so intriguing to watch in comparison is that he leaves logic and facts behind. Once he enters the world of magic, his basis for reason is the impossible. It’s a radical shift in character development. Doctor Strange was once so materialistic and believed in facts and comes to be the guardian of the realm on Earth.

About The Author

Gabriela Silva
(478 Articles Published)

Gabriela Silva is a List writer for Screen Rant with experience in all things television, film and pop culture. A graduate of Fordham University with previous years experience interning for Cliché Magazine.

With her passion for movies, television and entertainment, she’s interviewed some great actors from Cress Williams of ‘Black Lightning’ to Tati Gabrielle from ‘Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.’

Her love for entertainment reaches a broad range of interests from 90s thriller movies, guilty pleasure teen dramas, action-packed MCU movies to popular K-dramas. You’ll most likely find her binge-watching a new television show or movies on Netflix into the early morning.

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