Marvel’s Doctor Strange may be a powerful sorcerer that can be in many places at once, but his real-life actor counterpart, Benedict Cumberbatch, does not possess such abilities (that we know of).  According to Page Six, Cumberbatch will not be able to participate in Avengers: Infinity War‘s first round of filming, opting to contribute his required scenes during reshoots. The popular actor will instead be lending his acting talents to his portrayal of inventor Thomas Edison in The Current War.

Marvel Studios has chosen to accommodate Cumberbatch’s absence by shooting his scenes with a body double. Doctor Strange’s role in the Avengers threequel will now be partly inhabited by Broadway actor Aaron Lazar, who bears more than a passing resemblance to the Sherlock actor.

When he is finished inventing the lightbulb, Cumberbatch will properly join the other Avengers with the help of reshoots and green screen effects. Any scenes featuring Lazar’s face or voice will be replaced. Page Six’s Disney sources emphasised that Marvel will forego any face-swapping or digital recreation to replicate Doctor Strange. Seeing as Thanos will presumably have control of all of the Infinity Stones this time around, the Avengers will definately need all the help they can get.

Is Aaron Lazar the right guy to fill in for Doctor Strange? Does the lack of a Cumberbatch shake your confidence in an expanded role for the character? Are you looking forward to his portrayal as Edison? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to eye these other articles from the Marvel Cinematic Universe!

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