benedict cumberbatch

If you stayed for the credits after Doctor Strange last year (of course you did) you saw the titular Sorcerer Supreme have a little sit down with Chris Hemsworth’s Thor over some beer. So it only makes sense that Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor will drop by Thor: Ragnarok.

Marvel superheroes across the TV-movie spectrum may not join forces anytime soon, but that isn’t stopping a few team-ups behind the camera. Case in point. a notable Iron Fist star has Doctor Strange himself to thank for the gig, as Benedict Cumberbatch put in a good word.

With the release of Doctor Strange on home video just around the corner, fans are getting an early look at some of the behind-the-scenes features that will accompany the film on DVD and Blu-ray. Just yesterday, for example, Marvel released some of the best best set jokes on the film’s gag reel, showing that even respected Shakespearean actors like Benedict Cumberbatch aren’t above flubbing the occasional line. For die-hard fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, these features are a great peek at how the sausage gets made.

When you get right down to it, there’s something delightfully surreal about watching our generation’s best actors tie themselves to the ceiling and spout metaphysical gibberish at the camera. Doctor Strange may not be my personal favorite superhero movie, but it’s undeniably the one with my favorite cast; Benedict Cumberbatch, Tilda Swinton, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Mads Mikkelsen would represent an embarrassment of riches for any movie, let alone one focused on time travel and temperamental capes.

Both Sherlock and Watson were dealt quite a blow in Season 4 premiere “The Six Thatchers,” so why is the world’s greatest detective the only one sporting a sadness beard? We may yet find out, as a full photo set from next week’s “The Lying Detective” sees the investigators reluctantly re-teamed to face a cackling Toby Jones.

Sherlock dealt Season 4 quite a blow with January 1 premiere “The Six Thatchers,” but will the world’s greatest detective and Watson recover in time to deal with Toby Jones’ Culverton Smith? That’s the question posed by next week’s “The Lying Detective,” as the first trailer teases that Sherlock will be adding to the kills under his belt.

Sherlock Season 4 is shaping up to be a big one, between a theatrical release and the latest trailer, but will our 2017 premiere dive right into the Moriarty cliffhanger that ended Season 3? Perhaps not, as our full synopsis for “The Six Thatchers” teases an update on a classic tale, along with a deeper exploration of Mary’s past.

Like Guardians of the Galaxy and Ant-Man before it, Doctor Strange is kind of a wild card in the Marvel Cinematic Universe — the titular hero doesn’t have the same name recognition among general audiences as, say, Captain America. But Marvel is using that to their advantage and taking some bolder creative risks with the Sorcerer Supreme’s solo outing. At a special preview event, the studio screened 15 dizzying minutes of IMAX footage from the upcoming film, and it’s far weirder and wilder than those trailers are letting on.

On my Marvel Unlimited app, I’ve been slowly working my way through the very first Doctor Strange comics by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, which originally appeared in the pages of the appropriately named series Strange Tales. At the time, of his introduction Dr. Strange was a backup feature in the book, which was primarily devoted to the solo tales of Fantastic Four member the Human Torch. The stories of these early Strange adventures are pretty hit or miss (one involves a haunted house which is not haunted but is actually - SPOILER ALERT - a house from another dimension. ) but the artwork, even in the earliest issues, is just fantastic. Ditko (who also co-created Spider-Man with Lee) had this amazing conception of alternate dimension and realities that was just incredible.

You don’t have to wait for Captain America: Civil War to hit Blu-ray in order to enjoy the special features, like this sneak peek at Doctor Strange. The featurette, which includes new footage and concept art, takes a closer look at Tilda Swinton’s Ancient One, Chiwetel Ejiofor’s Mordo (Karl Mordo, actually) and the crew of baddies led by Mads Mikkelsen’s Kaecilius — who looks a little less severe here than the version we’ve seen in the trailers.

If you haven’t been watching the 2016 Olympics, then you’ve been missing out on more than just Michael Phelps’ meme-ready face and impressive feats of physical endurance. The event has also been host to some new sneak peeks and TV spots, like Marvel’s latest trailer for Doctor Strange, which is leaning quite heavily into the whole mind-blowing, world-turning Inception thing.

New Doctor Strange trailer not enough Cumberbatch for one weekend? We’ve got just the thing. Sherlock won’t return for Season 4 until 2017, but watch the first full trailer right now, as London’s greatest detective duo take on Toby Jones and some personal demons, not to mention one very shocking sight!