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Benedict Cumberbatch is thrilled about how ‘Infinity War’ sets up ‘Avengers 4’

Published Jul 20th, 2018 12:30PM EDT
Infinity War Cliffhanger
Image: DISNEY/Moviestore/REX/Shutterstock

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We’ve had three Marvel movies this year, which means we have plenty of waiting to do until the next one — that’s Captain Marvel on March 8th, in case you were wondering. But thanks to the monster hit that Infinity War was, and thanks to its massive cliffhanger, there’s plenty of Avengers 4 talk in the air.

It sure helps that Ant-Man and the Wasp just premiered and that Marvel recently confirmed the official name for the next Spider-Man movie. Because that’s how we got more evidence that the deaths in Avengers: Infinity War are destined to be undone when the sequel lands next May.

Moreover, digging through past interviews with Marvel execs and cast members brings up plenty of information about the future of the Avengers franchise that can be viewed in a totally different light now that we’ve all seen the 2018 Marvel movies.

Just earlier this week we came across an older interview with Benedict Cumberbatch and Tom Holland that revealed a massive part of the plot line for Avengers 4. The two actors talked about their roles while promoting Infinity War, with Holland revealing a detail that maybe he should have kept secret.

An even older interview with Marvel execs during the promotion of Spider-Man: Homecoming told us that Spider-Man: Far From Home will begin minutes after Avengers 4 ends. That means Spider-Man isn’t as dead as you may have thought. Similarly, an in-depth interview with Marvel president Kevin Feige from late April revealed that some of the decisions in the new Avengers movies will be final. That means that, yes, some superheroes will stay dead.

Which brings us to an interview with Cumberbatch last week. The actor talked to The Star at length about his Patrick Melrose role, but he was also asked about the new Avengers films.

“Obviously, you’re not going to tell me anything about how The Avengers ends,” the reporter said. “Can you at least tell me this: Were you surprised by how the last movie ended? The cliffhanger generated quite a bit of discussion.”

“I was thrilled,” the actor replied. “Thrilled, thrilled, thrilled and thrilled with the pitch for the second film. And thrilled by the ingenuity of the whole thing. And to be in an audience and experience that was something else. I’ve been part of Sherlock, with a very famous cliffhanger. It’s a very brave thing for movies that are that big, bold and colorful.”

Of course Cumberbatch is thrilled. He seems to love his Doctor Strange role. He did say in an early June Deadline interview that he intends to make more Marvel movies in spite of what had just happened in Infinity War.

“Oh, Strange? Just try to stop me,” he said, when asked whether he’ll reprise the role. “That’s all kind of lined up as far as I’m aware, but who knows? I mean, you know, the problem is, how does he get out of where he’s at. But that’s the only thing. I’m bits of dust at the moment as far as I understand. So you really have to ask (Marvel Studios president) Kevin Feige. But as far as wanting to do it, yeah, I would love to go back into that role.”

We know that a Doctor Strange 2 is already in the works, and we know he’s vital to beating Thanos in Avengers 4. In fact, Doctor Strange is the only superhero that knows how to defeat Thanos. Dying in Infinity War is just a way to make that happen. That said, the actor didn’t reveal any other details about the Avengers 4 plot, so we’re back to waiting for more spoilers. Avengers 4 will hit theaters on May 3rd.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.