20 Best Performances In MCU History (So Far)

In a lot of ways, Doctor Strange is like Tony Stark 2.0, an arrogant, unlikeable wretch who becomes a hero after a near death experience and soon learns to put his own wellbeing aside for the greater good.

But thanks to the smarmy, heart-rending performance of Benedict Cumberbatch, there's more to Strange than simply being a Stark clone with magic. Under his thin veneer of coldness, there's also a level of loss and desperation that Cumberbatch brings to life with wry humour and emotional outbursts.

After his origin story, Strange becomes even more sure of his abilities and place in the world, which helps Cumberbatch lean more into the sarcastic, cocky side of the character without losing sight of his newfound heroism.

Constantly at odds with the universe's many threats and his own sacred duty to protect the Time Stone, Strange's time in the MCU seems to have barely scratched the surface of what Cumberbatch can bring to the role, but even so he's already soared above the vast majority of his peers.