All 7 Upcoming Benedict Cumberbatch Movies Explained

Benedict Cumberbatch is an immensely talented actor who excels in a variety of roles, and as a result, he has plenty of upcoming movies currently in the works. Cumberbatch has been acting in films and TV since 2002, when he appeared in the TV movie, Fields of Gold. However, he had already been appearing in theatrical productions around the UK for several years prior. While his success on TV and film did not take long, with his first major role that elevated his career being in the TV movie Hawking, where he played the late and great scientist, Stephen Hawking, Cumberbatch continued to pursue roles on stage and on the screen.

From 2005 onward, he began appearing in leading roles in West End theater productions, and his career began to really excel from this point onwards. In 2010, he became Sherlock Holmes for the hit BBC series alongside Martin Freeman, and this made Cumberbatch into a household name. Today, he continues to pursue his diverse passions as he performs on stage, in short films, independent productions and Hollywood blockbusters. With the star so in demand, it makes sense that there are plenty of upcoming titles where Cumberbatch is set to star.

7 The Phoenician Scheme

The soonest movie set to be released which will star Benedict Cumberbatch is The Phoenician Scheme, directed by Wes Anderson. Cumberbatch and Anderson recently collaborated on the short film, The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar. For this outing, the film is set to be toured at film festivals from February 2025, and the story was co-written by Anderson and Roman Coppola, the son of Francis Ford Coppola. Joining Cumberbatch in the cast is Tom Hanks, and Scarlett Johansson, alongside several other well-known actors. Cumberbatch will play a character by the name of Uncle Nubar.

The film is set to be an cross between a crime thriller and a dramedy, as it revolves around a father and daughter whose relationship has soured. The film promises to feature twists and betrayals, which will further complicate things among the family, and include elements of espionage. Of course, with it also being a Wes Anderson film, there will likely be bright colors, interesting camera shots, and an energetic score to boot.

6 The Roses

Also releasing in 2025, Cumberbatch is set to star in The Roses, a film which is based on the Warren Adler novel, The War of the Roses, and was previously adapted in 1989. The film is set to be a comedy drama, and with the talented Jay Roach directing, whose previous works include the Meet the Parents films, Austin Powers, and The Campaign, Roach has plenty of experience in that realm. He will be joined by Tony McNamara, who has written the screenplay, and has previously worked on Poor Things, The Favorite, and Cruella.

The film is set to star Andy Samberg, Olivia Colman, Ncuti Gatwa, and Kate McKinnon alongside Cumberbatch, who will take on the role of Theo. In a similar vein to The Phoenician Scheme, The Roses will follow a dysfunctional family in the middle of crisis and fallout. However, the story will be more grounded as it doesn’t appear to have a criminal or spy element. While the central couple appears perfect, the cracks begin to show when the husband runs into problems in his career.

5 The Thing with Feathers

The Thing with Feathers is in active development at present, but due to its nature as a smaller independent film, there are very few details about the film and its eventual release. The movie was written and directed by Dylan Southern, whose best known previous works include music videos and directing comedy specials. The movie is being funded by Film4 in the UK, and will likely be released on their dedicated channel once it is completed, rather than in theaters.

The story is based on a novel by Max Porter, called Grief is the Thing with Feathers. The story is set to follow a father and his two young sons as they deal with the death of their wife and mother. While Benedict Cumberbatch’s role has not been confirmed, he is likely to play the widowed father. In the novel, the father is a writer who is in the middle of writing a book about the poet Ted Hughes. The book also features a human-sized crow who speaks and helps the family to grieve.

4 Morning

Morning is an original story set to be directed by Justin Kerzel. Kerzel previously directed the 2015 adaptation of Shakespeare’s MacBeth, starring Michael Fassbender, and he worked with Fassbender again the following year when directing the Assassin’s Creed movie. The film has been written by Sam Steiner, a fairly new writer who has a handful of credits to his name. Among them, many are sci-fi, and morning appears to be following suit. The film will also star Laura Dern, Noah Jupe, and Naomi Ackie, alongside Cumberbatch who will play a man named Frank.

The story of Morning is that in a futuristic society, there is a pill which allows people to function without any sleep. To accommodate this change of life, an artificial sun has been created, and there is no such thing as night in modern society. However, the up-and-coming generation of this new world takes issue with the fact that sleep has been abolished, and in an act of rebellion, they set out to reclaim their ability to sleep and to dream.

3 Avengers: Doomsday

Back to Hollywood blockbusters, Benedict Cumberbatch’s involvement in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday has yet to be confirmed, but considering the central position that his character Doctor Strange occupies within the MCU, it would make perfect sense for him to appear in the upcoming crossover event. Avengers: Doomsday is set to release May 1, 2026, and it will introduce Doctor Doom, the villain who will be played by Robert Downey Jr., to the MCU. The plot for the movie is tightly under wraps, but its certain that the scale of the film will be huge.

The movie will also be directed by brothers Anthony and Joe Russo, the same duo that directed Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, and two of the three Captain America films. Joining them will be their longtime writing collaborator, Stephen McFeely, who has worked on all of their previous MCU entries, and was also responsible for the screenplays of the Chronicles of Narnia movies. With almost no details about the plot revealed, the film is set to be an important piece of the puzzle for the Multiverse Saga as that era of the MCU comes to a close.

2 Avengers: Secret Wars

The following year, tentatively set to release May 7, 2027, Avengers: Secret Wars will conclude the story of Avengers: Doomsday, and wrap up the Multiverse Saga. Both the Russo’s and McFeely are confirmed to be directing and writing respectively. While details are also scarce for this entry, the movie is expected to be an even bigger spectacle and event with many more heroes and characters from throughout the entire MCU set to join. If Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange doesn’t show up in Doomsday, it is almost certain that he will appear Secret Wars.

In addition, there is also a widely celebrated Marvel comic book run called Secret Wars which the upcoming Avengers movie is likely to draw inspiration from. Within that storyline, Doctor Strange plays a pivotal role alongside Doctor Doom in efforts to stop the Multiverse from being destroyed. It is highly likely that with Doom’s introduction in the prior film, there will be strong ties to this story, and that Doctor Strange will have a pivotal part to play, which once again points to Benedict Cumberbatch returning to reprise his role as the mystical sorcerer in Avengers: Secret Wars.

1 Doctor Strange 3

As seen from the above two entries, the MCU is tight-lipped about its upcoming projects, and when it comes to Doctor Strange’s third solo outing, Doctor Strange 3, things are no different. Since Cumberbatch is the star of this subfranchise within the MCU, it is a certainty that he will need to appear in this sequel, but when it will release and what it will be about is all pure speculation at this point. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness saw a new director take the reins, Sam Raimi, who is likely to return for Doctor Strange 3.

In addition, the end of Multiverse of Madness also introduced a new character, Clea, played by Charlize Theron. As a result of her character being introduced, it’s likely that the next movie will follow a story where she plays a pivotal part, and that does open up more of what the film could be about. In comics, Clea is the niece of Dormammu, the villain of the first Doctor Strange movie, and she goes on to become the Sorcerer Supreme, and a close ally with Stephen Strange. Clearly, Benedict Cumberbatch is currently inundated with upcoming roles, but considering his talents, it’s exciting to see so many incredible projects where he will be heavily involved.