When it comes to a rumor of a celebrity's involvement in a particular project, there's typically one specific role they're supposedly earmarked for. In the case of Benedict Cumberbatch and DC, there's not only one but two different roles he's supposedly being considered for in both Batman v. Superman: Dawn Of Justice and Justice League. One role, that of Martian Manhunter, didn't surprise Cumberbatch when he was asked about it at last night's GQ Man Of The Year awards. However, there was one role that even he didn't know he was being considered for.
BBC Newsbeat reports that in addition being considered for the green skinned martian bountyhunter/future member of the Justice League, he is also being considered for a villainous role in Batman v. Superman: Dawn Of Justice as well. If Cumberbatch's comments are any indication as to the degree of truth to these rumors, one rumor sticks to the wall better than the other, as he responded, "That's a fun one, I've not heard that one until tonight," in regards to the Batman v. Superman: Dawn Of Justice role.
So, what are the chances he's going to be in either of these movies? He didn't exactly deny it when asked.
As it would turn out, this report is unique in its claim as the BBC is the only reputable source that pegs Cumberbatch for a DC Comics role of some sort. Any other more official looking information is hard to come by, with one of the most solid pieces being MoviePilot's speculative casting of the Justice League back in July. Outside of that, Doctor Strange was the only real solidly speculated comic role that Benedict Cumberbatch was being considered for, a role that he took himself out of the running for through an MTV interview at Comic Con.
Even the fact that Cumberbatch is letting the Justice League rumor run shouldn't be taken as a confession. He's just an actor who's notorious for how he handles the press with equal parts fun and snark, allowing his name to swirl about. To be perfectly honest, you can't really fault him for doing so. To land a role in a major comic franchise these days is an easy payday, and can also be tons of fun if you approach it with the right mindset. If you could get paid to pretend to have super powers and do so for several movies, you'd probably jump at the chance too.
So for now, let's just cool the rumors on Benedict Cumberbatch's entry into the Justice League and let's wait for some more solid confirmation before we go any further. After all, we've seen plenty of cases where it looks like something's a sure thing, only to see it come to nothing. Though if we were to speculate on the potential for Cumberbatch's villainy in Batman v. Superman: Dawn Of Justice, we'd kindly suggest that he be considered as a kick assed Metallo! (Brainiac is way to deep in the type casting well.)
For now though, you can see Benedict Cumberbatch in this fall's The Imitation Game, which recently set the Telluride Film Festival ablaze wit buzz and is due out this Fall.
