Here’s the first picture of Benedict Cumberbatch as Dr. Strange for the upcoming Marvel superhero movie–although nobody’s shot a single frame of the film, and this is probably more of a Photoshop kind of concept art. It was posted by Dr. Strange director Scott Derrickson, though, so that makes it kind of legit.
Also, it’s pretty intriguing for geeks. Everyone expects that the main Dr. Strange villain will be the flame-headed Dormammu, but this image (which just might be meant to be all freaky) really evokes the comic-book character Eternity. He’s the leader of a group of ancients called the Cosmic Powers, and….well, it’s complicated.
The important thing is that Dr. Strange is looking to be a really serious look at a lot of Marvel Universe weirdness, and not just a quick cash-in on a minor character. If you’re a regular kind of guy, then you can just feel reassured that you’re getting a smart movie. If you’re a geek, then join us in starting at this picture through the holidays…