Benedict Cumberbath is very familiar as a superhero, thanks to playing Doctor Strange in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Last week, however, the Sherlock actor became a hero in real life. In London, Cumberbatch intervened when four muggers attacked a cyclist near Baker Street. The muggers smashed a bottle over the cyclist's head. When Cumberbatch arrived, the attackers reportedly fled the scene almost instantly. The Uber driver who dropped off Benedict Cumberbatch onto the scene later claimed the A-list actor was a "superhero" when he saved the day.
While it's not clear where Benedict Cumberbatch was going when he stepped into that fateful Uber, the British celebrity was with his wife, Sophie Hunter, when the situation happened. According to Manuel Dias, the Uber driver who drove the star and his wife to their destination, he didn't know it was the Oscar-nominated Imitation Game actor until after he got out of his vehicle, whereupon Benedict Cumberbatch proceeded to help the attacked cyclist when the man -- reportedly in his 20s -- began screaming for help while in the process of being mugged. According to The Telegraph, no arrests were made and no hospital treatment was required, despite the bottle incident. Here's how Manual Dias recounted the "surreal" situation that happened upon dropping off Benedict Cumberbatch at his destination.
It all got a bit surreal. Here was Sherlock Holmes fighting off four attackers just round the corner from Baker Street. I had hold of one lad and Benedict another. He seemed to know exactly what he was doing. He was very brave. He did most of it, to be honest. They tried to hit him but he defended himself and pushed them away. He wasn't injured. Then I think they also recognized it was Benedict and ran away.
When asked why he saved the day for this young individual, Benedict Cumberbatch said "I had to." Even when you're a major superstar known worldwide, it's always important to do the right thing. Thankfully, Benedict Cumberbatch was not only there, but he did what he felt was right in that critical moment, assuring that the cyclist was safe during this potentially traumatic ordeal. Doctor Strange is notorious for wearing a cape, one with a mind of its own, to boot. But it's evident that not all heroes where capes (even when they're sometimes paid to).
Currently, Benedict Cumberbatch can be seen in theaters everywhere in Avengers: Infinity War. Evidently, while some people watched Cumberbatch's heroic acts on the big screen, a few nearby onlookers got a chance to see him in action in person. The popular actor is also currently starring in a miniseries adaptation of Patrick Melrose, which is garnering great acclaim. He'll lend his voice to The Grinch later this year in Illumination's forthcoming animated adaptation of the popular Dr. Seuss classic. He also plays Shere Khan in Andy Serkis's upcoming Mowgli, which arrives in theaters on October 19th.
