Benedict Cumberbatch, Tilda Swinton promote Doctor Strange

After months of obsession, we can finally report that Marvel’s Doctor Strange, which marks the superhero debut of one Benedict Cumberbatch, is finally on its way to us all. With an all-star cast that includes names like Chiwetel Ejiofor, Mads Mikkelsen, Rachel McAdams and Tilda Swinton, the film, easily Marvel’s most experimental effort in recent years, had its world premiere in Hong Kong this past week.

Promoting the film in Hong Kong, both Cumberbatch and Tilda Swinton (who plays a 700-year old mystic called the Ancient One) had “a great time” mingling with the press as screaming fans greeted them at the red carpet.

“It sort of fulfilled everything that you could have imagined from a Marvel film. It’s big. It’s bold and it is very new, visually obviously, but also some of the tone of it,” said Cumberbatch at the premiere night as he was joined by co-star Tilda Swinton, director Scott Derrickson and Marvel Studios executive producer Kevin Feige.

Speaking about the pressure of comic book fans, Cumberbatch told the media: “These comics and the films that Marvel makes are driven by the people who read them and are fans. It’s very important to us that the fans are thrilled, that their expectations are met, but most importantly that they’re exceeded.”

It was also revealed by director Derrickson that Cumberbatch did most of his fight scenes on his own, without the help of a double. “When I think about the production, a lot of what comes to mind is Benedict being in physical pain and having to perform in situations where he’s sparring or fighting and getting hit and kicked – because that’s what happens when you do your own fight scenes,” he said.

With just a few weeks left before Doctor Strange makes its way to cinemas worldwide, all eyes are on it with many wondering if its success will herald a new era of movies from Marvel Studios – time will tell.