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Benedict Cumberbatch has been collecting big-budget franchise roles like no body’s business. Having starred in the biggest and nerdiest of productions in the past two decades, Cumberbatch has not only distinguished himself as a commercial success but also as a critically acclaimed actor.
Having played iconic roles like Doctor Strange and Sherlock Holmes, Cumberbatch is no stranger to brilliant characters with rich histories. One of them was his character in JJ Abrams’Star Trek: Into the Darkness,Khan Nooine Singh. However, to bring the character to life, Abrams pitched the character to Cumberbatch by asking theDoctor Strangealum to draw inspiration from 3 iconic villains in film and comic history.
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Benedict Cumberbatch was asked to draw inspiration from 3 movies for Star Trek: Into the Darkness
Abrams asked Cumberbatch to base his character on three characters in particular. All the mentioned references were iconic villains in film history, that would inform Cumberbatch’s performance of the character. The Joker fromThe Dark Knight, Hannibal Lecter fromSilence of the Lambs, and Jack Torrance fromThe Shiningwere the characters that Abrams wanted Cumberbatch to focus on,
InThe Dark Knight, The Joker is portrayed by Heath Ledger. The actor received tremendous acclaim for his portrayal, making it one of the most iconic portrayals of a comic book character in recent history. However, as nefarious as the character was, it pales in comparison to the horror and chills that Sir Anthony Hopkins brought to the table in playing the character of Dr. Hannibal Lecter, the notorious cannibal fromThe Silence of the Lambs, adapted from the novel of the same name, written by Stephen King. Another of Stephen King’s adapted novels involves the character of Jack Torrence, the protagonist/antagonist ofThe Shining. All these three antagonists find themselves isolated from society, distant from what it means to be human. This could have served as an interesting note, given Khan’s history in the Star Trek Universe.
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JJ Abrams had the right idea
Using these characters as a map to inform Cumberbatche’s performance worked. His portrayal of Khan (which he denied in interviews as a part of a secrecy campaign) was universally acclaimed, likening it to other stoic male characters that had taken Hollywood by storm. Critics and audiences alike enjoyed the character a lot. It also helped that Cumberbatch himself is an immensely gifted actor. Portraying Khan as a superhuman, man-who-does-not-fit-in character aligns perfectly with the references that Abrams presented to theAvengers: Infinity Waractor.
Cumberbatch’s list of franchises in his resume only seems to be set to grow even more.
Also Read:Benedict Cumberbatch’s One Good Habit Changed His Hollywood Career, Even Oprah Winfrey and Dakota Johnson Would Agree With the Doctor Strange Star
Anuraag Chatterjee
Content Writer
Articles Published :1633
Anuraag Chatterjee, Web Content WriterWith a passion for writing fiction and non fiction content, Anuraag is a Media Science graduate with 2 year’s experience with Marketing and Content, with 3 published poetry anthologies. Anuraag holds a Bacherlor’s degree in Arts with a focus on Communication and Media Studies.
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Benedict CumberbatchStar Trek Into Darkness
