Benedict Cumberbatch has carved out a pretty strong niche as one of the MCU's most prominent heroes in Doctor Stephen Strange. But years before he took on the role of Strange, Cumberbatch says that he turned down another role in the MCU that would have cast him as a villain.

In a recent interview with BBC Radio 1, Cumberbatch related the story of how he turned down the role of Malekith in Thor: The Dark World, which ultimately went to Christopher Eccleston. Cumberbatch, who was fresh off Star Trek Into Darkness, apparently wanted a role that was a "bit more juicy."

"[The Doctor Strange role] happened as an idea muted after, funnily enough, another little dance I did for another character in the MCU, a very brief character," Cumberbatch said, referring to Malekith. "I was bold enough to say, 'I'm really flattered to be invited to the party, but I'd rather hold out for something a bit more juicy.'"

That role was Doctor Strange, which Cumberbatch was initially hesitant about as well due to his being "a bit of a misogynist, very bound in the '70s." Ultimately, though, Cumberbatch was convinced to take the role, and the rest was history.

Meanwhile, Thor: The Dark World tends to get a bad rap these days. Our review at the time criticized it for having a "weak storyline and an even weaker villain," noting that Eccleston was an excellent actor "buried under mountains of prosthetics."

Cumberbatch, for his part, is fresh off his starring role in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which has topped $500 million in the worldwide box office. You can read lots more about it here, including our recent interview with Doctor Strange writer Michael Waldron in which he apologizes for breaking fans' hearts.

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.

Employees should "respect differences of opinion," PlayStation president Jim Ryan said in an email reportedly sent to employees earlier today, writing that the company is "multi-faceted and diverse, holding many different points of view."

As reported by Bloomberg, the message was apparently intended to respond to the current firestorm concerning abortion rights, which began when a Supreme Court draft opinion striking down Roe vs. Wade was revealed in an unprecedented leak.

Since then, multiple game developers have released statements on the matter, including Double Fine Games, which is owned by Xbox Game Studios. The most strident of them has been Destiny 2 creator Bungie, which said that it supports "essential healthcare rights" in a lengthy blog on its official site.

"Bungie is committed to safeguarding the freedom and privacy of its employees and providing support to all employees affected by this decision," the developer wrote. "Standing up for reproductive choice and liberty is not a difficult decision to make, and Bungie remains dedicated to upholding these values."

Bungie was acquired by PlayStation earlier this year, but the deal has yet to be finalized.

Ryan, for his part, reportedly wrote that "we owe it to each other and to PlayStation's millions of users to respect differences of opinion among everyone in our internal and external communities. Respect does not equal agreement. But it is fundamental to who we are as a company and as a valued global brand."

Ryan then pivoted to talking about "something lighthearted to help inspire everyone to be mindful of having balance that can help ease the stress of uncertain world events," where he went on to talk about his pets, including his two cats' first birthday.

In the wake of the email, Bloomberg reportedly viewed internal discussions that included women saying they felt disrespected or trivialized by the message, including one who reportedly said they'd "never been so mad about a cat birthday before."

IGN has reached out to Sony and will update this email with any response.

Image Credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.

Employees should "respect differences of opinion," PlayStation president Jim Ryan said in an email reportedly sent to employees earlier today, writing that the company is "multi-faceted and diverse, holding many different points of view."

As reported by Bloomberg, the message was apparently intended to respond to the current firestorm concerning abortion rights, which began when a Supreme Court draft opinion striking down Roe vs. Wade was revealed in an unprecedented leak.

Since then, multiple game developers have released statements on the matter, including Double Fine Games, which is owned by Xbox Game Studios. The most strident of them has been Destiny 2 creator Bungie, which said that it supports "essential healthcare rights" in a lengthy blog on its official site.

"Bungie is committed to safeguarding the freedom and privacy of its employees and providing support to all employees affected by this decision," the developer wrote. "Standing up for reproductive choice and liberty is not a difficult decision to make, and Bungie remains dedicated to upholding these values."

Bungie was acquired by PlayStation earlier this year, but the deal has yet to be finalized.

Ryan, for his part, reportedly wrote that "we owe it to each other and to PlayStation's millions of users to respect differences of opinion among everyone in our internal and external communities. Respect does not equal agreement. But it is fundamental to who we are as a company and as a valued global brand."

Ryan then pivoted to talking about "something lighthearted to help inspire everyone to be mindful of having balance that can help ease the stress of uncertain world events," where he went on to talk about his pets, including his two cats' first birthday.

In the wake of the email, Bloomberg reportedly viewed internal discussions that included women saying they felt disrespected or trivialized by the message, including one who reportedly said they'd "never been so mad about a cat birthday before."

IGN has reached out to Sony and will update this email with any response.

Image Credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.

Norm Macdonald has the last laugh after it’s been announced the comedian secretly filmed one final stand-up special before his death.

Macdonald died last September at the age of 61. But the comedian shot a private one-hour stand-up special, which was filmed in his living room. The special, titled Norm Macdonald: Nothing Special, will premiere on Netflix on May 30.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Macdonald went to the hospital in 2020 and was told the results were not good. And before he was set to go in for a procedure, Macdonald set out to film a special. “He wanted to get this on tape just in case — as he put it — things went south,” said Macdonald’s long-time producing partner Lori jo Hoekstra to THR.

“It was his intention to have a special to share if something happened.”

Norm Macdonald died after a nine-year battle with cancer, which he kept private. “He never wanted the diagnosis to affect the way the audience or any of his loved ones saw him<’ Hoekstra said.

Macdonald has a rich career in comedy that spans through a legendary shift at Saturday Night Live as well as several beloved specials and an ABC sitcom.

Known for an acerbic wit and delivery, having a literal last laugh for a special is a perfect sendoff from one of history’s best comics.

Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor. You can reach him @lawoftd.

Norm Macdonald has the last laugh after it’s been announced the comedian secretly filmed one final stand-up special before his death.

Macdonald died last September at the age of 61. But the comedian shot a private one-hour stand-up special, which was filmed in his living room. The special, titled Norm Macdonald: Nothing Special, will premiere on Netflix on May 30.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Macdonald went to the hospital in 2020 and was told the results were not good. And before he was set to go in for a procedure, Macdonald set out to film a special. “He wanted to get this on tape just in case — as he put it — things went south,” said Macdonald’s long-time producing partner Lori jo Hoekstra to THR.

“It was his intention to have a special to share if something happened.”

Norm Macdonald died after a nine-year battle with cancer, which he kept private. “He never wanted the diagnosis to affect the way the audience or any of his loved ones saw him<’ Hoekstra said.

Macdonald has a rich career in comedy that spans through a legendary shift at Saturday Night Live as well as several beloved specials and an ABC sitcom.

Known for an acerbic wit and delivery, having a literal last laugh for a special is a perfect sendoff from one of history’s best comics.

Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor. You can reach him @lawoftd.

News that Redfall and Starfield are being delayed into 2023 made waves this morning, not the least because they were expected to be major tentpole releases for Xbox this holiday season. Since then Xbox CEO Phil Spencer has taken to Twitter to respond, acknowledging fan disappointment while also saying that "delivering quality and consistently is expected" and that Xbox "hears the feedback."

Spencer's tweet reads, "These decisions are hard on teams making the games and our fans. While I fully support giving teams time to release these great games when they are ready, we hear the feedback. Delivering quality and consistency is expected, we will continue to work to better meet those expectations."

These decisions are hard on teams making the games & our fans. While I fully support giving teams time to release these great games when they are ready, we hear the feedback. Delivering quality & consistency is expected, we will continue to work to better meet those expectations. https://t.co/mIfXGd3rui

— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) May 12, 2022

Starfield was originally slated for November 2022, where it was expected to be one of the biggest Xbox games of the year. Both it and Redfall join other high-profile exclusives like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 in being pushed into next year.

The initial delay announcement also says we'll get to see the "first deep dive into the gameplay for both Redfall and Starfield soon," potentially pointing to the Xbox/Bethesda Summer Showcase on June 12.

When they are finally shown, it will be the first major look that fans get of either game. So far there's been no gameplay released for either, though Bethesda has afforded a number of glimpses at Starfield — from the game's robot companion to the various facitons in the game.

So far, no official dates have been given for Starfield or Redfall, but the current projected time frame for both is the first half of 2023.

Casey is a freelance writer for IGN. You can usually find him talking about JRPGs on Twitter at @caseydavidmt.

News that Redfall and Starfield are being delayed into 2023 made waves this morning, not the least because they were expected to be major tentpole releases for Xbox this holiday season. Since then Xbox CEO Phil Spencer has taken to Twitter to respond, acknowledging fan disappointment while also saying that "delivering quality and consistently is expected" and that Xbox "hears the feedback."

Spencer's tweet reads, "These decisions are hard on teams making the games and our fans. While I fully support giving teams time to release these great games when they are ready, we hear the feedback. Delivering quality and consistency is expected, we will continue to work to better meet those expectations."

These decisions are hard on teams making the games & our fans. While I fully support giving teams time to release these great games when they are ready, we hear the feedback. Delivering quality & consistency is expected, we will continue to work to better meet those expectations. https://t.co/mIfXGd3rui

— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) May 12, 2022

Starfield was originally slated for November 2022, where it was expected to be one of the biggest Xbox games of the year. Both it and Redfall join other high-profile exclusives like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 in being pushed into next year.

The initial delay announcement also says we'll get to see the "first deep dive into the gameplay for both Redfall and Starfield soon," potentially pointing to the Xbox/Bethesda Summer Showcase on June 12.

When they are finally shown, it will be the first major look that fans get of either game. So far there's been no gameplay released for either, though Bethesda has afforded a number of glimpses at Starfield — from the game's robot companion to the various facitons in the game.

So far, no official dates have been given for Starfield or Redfall, but the current projected time frame for both is the first half of 2023.

Casey is a freelance writer for IGN. You can usually find him talking about JRPGs on Twitter at @caseydavidmt.

It looks like the train has been delayed. Again. The upcoming Brad Pitt assassin film Bullet Train has been delayed a second time to August 5, 2022. The film saw its release date move from July 15 to July 29 in March.

While the delay is just a week out from the last release date, it’s still a bummer for fans who were hoping to go all aboard the assassin-centric action flick.

The film is based on the novel Maria Beetle by Kōtarō Isaka and follows a seasoned assassin named Ladybug, played by Pitt, who wants to stop killing but gets pulled back in by his handler, Sandra Bullock’s Maria Bettle.

Besides Pitt, the film features a star-studded cast including Joey King, Aaron Taylor Johnson, Andrew Koji, and Bullock who replaced Lady Gaga after she dropped out due to scheduling conflicts. At the helm of the film is director David Leitch whose credits include both Deadpool 2 and John Wick, the latter of which he co-directed.

In a recent interview with Empire, Leitch said that much of the film’s action was inspired by Jackie Chan films and fights will include “a little bit of physical comedy.” He also said, “The fights are designed to enhance the characters. We’re here to have fun in this super-contained space.”

If the trailer that came out in March is any indicator, Bullet Train is going to be a lot of frantic fun with a dash of humor.

Casey is a freelance writer for IGN. You can usually find him talking about JRPGs on Twitter at @caseydavidmt.

It looks like the train has been delayed. Again. The upcoming Brad Pitt assassin film Bullet Train has been delayed a second time to August 5, 2022. The film saw its release date move from July 15 to July 29 in March.

While the delay is just a week out from the last release date, it’s still a bummer for fans who were hoping to go all aboard the assassin-centric action flick.

The film is based on the novel Maria Beetle by Kōtarō Isaka and follows a seasoned assassin named Ladybug, played by Pitt, who wants to stop killing but gets pulled back in by his handler, Sandra Bullock’s Maria Bettle.

Besides Pitt, the film features a star-studded cast including Joey King, Aaron Taylor Johnson, Andrew Koji, and Bullock who replaced Lady Gaga after she dropped out due to scheduling conflicts. At the helm of the film is director David Leitch whose credits include both Deadpool 2 and John Wick, the latter of which he co-directed.

In a recent interview with Empire, Leitch said that much of the film’s action was inspired by Jackie Chan films and fights will include “a little bit of physical comedy.” He also said, “The fights are designed to enhance the characters. We’re here to have fun in this super-contained space.”

If the trailer that came out in March is any indicator, Bullet Train is going to be a lot of frantic fun with a dash of humor.

Casey is a freelance writer for IGN. You can usually find him talking about JRPGs on Twitter at @caseydavidmt.

Dune, Part Two has just cast another major new role, and it's a doozy. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Christopher Walken is joining the cast as the Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV.

Walken's character is referenced in the original movie, but Dune, Part Two marks the first time fans will see the Emperor in the flesh. The role was previously played by José Ferrer in 1984's Dune and Giancarlo Giannini in the 2000 Syfy miniseries Frank Herbert's Dune.

In the Dune universe, Shaddam IV is the head of the all-powerful House Corrino. Shaddam is a monarch who rules over the known galaxy and shares an uneasy balance of power with the other houses of the Landsraad, the Spacing Guild and the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood. As revealed in the first movie, Shaddam conspired with House Harkonnen to destroy House Atreides, which he views as a threat to his rule.

Also joining the cast for Dune, Part Two are Black Widow's Florence Pugh as Shaddam's daughter, the Princess Irulan and Elvis star Austin Butler as the deadly Feyd-Rautha.

Weirdly enough, Walken's casting was foreshadowed more than 20 years ago in director Spike Jonze's music video for the Fatboy Slim song "Weapon of Choice." Walken stars in the video as a traveling businessman dancing through the halls of a hotel, and the song includes the Dune-inspired lyrics "Walk without rhythm, it won't attract the worm."

Dune, Part Two was officially announced in October 2021, with the sequel hitting theaters in October 2023. Director Denis Villeneuve will return alongside most of the Part One cast. Villeneuve recently confirmed the screenplay is "mostly finished" and final preparations are underway before filming begins.

For more on the sequel, find out exactly what you can expect from Dune, Part Two.

Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.