Although Benedict Cumberbatch — who plays Doctor Stephen Strange in Kevin Feige’s Marvel Cinematic Universe — and Kirsten Dunst — who portrayed Mary Jane Watson in the Spider-Man trilogy that released between 2002 and 2007 — have never been in a Marvel movie together (yet), they are acting together in an upcoming Netflix project entitled The Power of the Dog.
The Western film has garnered a great deal of publicity already, in part due to its spectacular cast, but Cumberbatch’s choice to go “full method” on set has recently become one of the most talked-about aspects of production. The Sherlock actor recently shared:
“I didn’t want to be really mean to Kirsten, but I needed to stay in character. So I didn’t speak to her on-set. She was the same. We were the negative to each other’s positive. [We were] repelled by each other.”
The interview also reveals that Cumberbatch went method for the role, not washing during filming, refusing to answer to ‘Benedict’, and smoking rolled cigarettes with no filter throughout days on set.
In the new Netflix film, Cumberbatch portrays gruff cowboy Phil Burbank, who lives near his brother George (Jesse Plemmons). The plot of the project centers around Burbank, whose relationship with his sister-in-law Rose Gordon (Kirsten Dunst) is strained.
Cumberbatch shared that this is why he opted to avoid Dunst as much as possible on set, adding that she employed the same tactic.
The Power of the Dog has a 2 hour and 5-minute runtime and is set to debut on December 1, 2021. Cumberbatch can next be seen in the MCU in Spider-Man: No Way Home on December 17, 2021 — there are unconfirmed rumors that Dunst will also cameo in the film, making her Marvel Cinematic Universe debut.
A domineering but charismatic rancher wages a war of intimidation on his brother’s new wife and her teen son — until long-hidden secrets come to light.
Joining Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) and Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), the official description of Spider-Man: No Way Home reads:
For the first time in the cinematic history of Spider-Man, our friendly neighborhood hero is unmasked and no longer able to separate his normal life from the high-stakes of being a Super Hero. When he asks for help from Doctor Strange the stakes become even more dangerous, forcing him to discover what it truly means to be Spider-Man.
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Credit: ABC
