EntertainmentBenedict Cumberbatch spoke to Empire magazine about the success of "Spider-Man: No Way Home."- He said that Kevin Feige told him the
movie 's performance would affect "the future of cinema."
Benedict Cumberbatch said that he initially doubted how impactful "Spider-Man: No Way Home" would be, but was proven wrong upon the film's release.
"When Kevin Feige first said, 'We'll know about the future of cinema, or the cinemagoing experience, after this film,' I was like, 'OK, everyone's drinking too much of the Kool-Aid around here,'" Cumberbatch told Empire magazine, referring to a conversation with the longtime president of Marvel Studios.
"My ignorance was showed up," he said.
Cumberbatch, who made his debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) in 2016's "Doctor Strange," reprised his role as Dr. Stephen Strange/Doctor Strange in "NWH."
The movie, which hit theaters on December 17, was directed by Jon Watts and starred Tom Holland as Peter Parker/Spider-Man.
"NWH" picked up immediately after the events of 2019's "Spider-Man: Far From Home," in which Quentin Beck/Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) framed Peter and revealed his superhero identity to the world.
In the latest Marvel movie, Peter turned to fellow New York-based Avenger Doctor Strange in order to make the world forget that he's Spider-Man. But the spell cast by the sorcerer went wrong.
As a result, visitors from the multiverse — namely villains from past "Spider-Man" movies that starred Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield as the titular web-slinger — entered Holland's world.
Anticipation for "NWH" was high prior to its release, due to rampant rumors about Maguire and Garfield reprising their roles as Peter Parker.
Maguire played the teen superhero in Sam Raimi's trilogy released between 2002 and 2007. When the franchise was rebooted a few years later, Garfield took over the role in Marc Webb's "Amazing Spider-Man" films released in 2012 and 2014.
The returns of Willem Dafoe as Norman Osborn/Green Goblin and Alfred Molina as Dr. Otto Octavius/Doc Ock in the trailer, as well as hints about other returning foes, further added to the hype surrounding Holland's third standalone "Spider-Man" film.
"NWH" was widely praised by critics and fans, with many people highlighting standout performances from Garfield and Dafoe.
The movie is also certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, with a critics score of 93% and an audience score of 98%.
According to producer Amy Pascal, Holland will again collaborate with Marvel and Sony for another "Spider-Man" film.
Most recently, "NWH" received an Oscar nomination for best visual effects.
And despite being released during the pandemic, "NWH" racked in millions of dollars globally. As of this article's publication, "NWH" has surpassed "Avatar" to become the third-highest-grossing movie of all time at the domestic box office with more than $760 million.