Marvel Studios
Marvel Cinematic Universe star Benedict Cumberbatch recently revealed that he was eating enough to feed a family each day in order to get in shape to play Doctor Strange. MCU fans, however, don’t understand why, though, as Doctor Strange is a wizard that is usually wearing a massive cloak.
Now, while actors getting absurdly jacked to play a superhero is nothing new — Christian Bale famously got massive for Batman Begins after weighing just 120 pounds in The Machinist the previous year, while Chris Pratt also surprised everyone with his ripped physique in Guardians of the Galaxy after being quite doughy on Parks and Rec. Paul Rudd also got inexplicably jacked to play Ant-Man for the first time.
Cumberbatch’s situation, however, is unique because Doctor Strange is not only often wearing a massive cloak and heavy wizard clothing, but his action also largely consists of him simply moving his hands, leaving fans to wonder why on Earth he needed to get ripped to play the part.
Benedict Cumberbatch says he was eating five meals per day while getting in shape to play Doctor Strange
“Going back to responsibility and resourcefulness and sustainability, it’s just like, ‘What am I doing? I could feed a family with the amount I’m eating,’” Cumberbatch said in an interview with Ruthie’s Table 4 podcast
Cumberbatch said that in order to get in shape to play Doctor Strange, he was eating five meals per day, which snacks such as boiled eggs, almonds and cheese in between.
“It’s a grossly wasteful industry. Think about set builds that aren’t recycled, think about transport, think about food, think about housing, but also light and energy. The amount of wattage you need to create daylight and consistent light in a studio environment. It’s a lot of energy.”
he’s playing a wizard, why does he need to eat that much lol https://t.co/PeDQ4cetWQ
— Cade Onder (@Cade_Onder) July 22, 2025
Feige: pic.twitter.com/3X0GWYyH8c https://t.co/9HH26k6bqb
— Weed Richards (@VanFromNY) July 23, 2025
Benedict Cumberbatch after spending all day throwing up gang signs https://t.co/S3corpfTkF pic.twitter.com/0aPBGVCNmI
— Silverhand (@lmpressiveCock) July 23, 2025
“Dr. Strange does not need to be buff lmao they were torturing him for no reason 💀💀,” one fan tweeted.
“He plays a surgeon with magical powers that is extremely clothed all the time. Why did he need to be buff lol?” another added.
“Why did he need to eat five meals a day to play a guy that stands around waving his hands?” a third wondered.
Cumberbatch last featured as Strange in the 2022 film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and will next be seen at the character in Avengers: Doomsday, which is currently scheduled to be released in December 2026 despite reports indicating the script does not currently have a third act.