MCU star Benedict Cumberbatch is in for an extended time in the spotlight during Phase 4's early stages as he continues playing the Sorcerer Supreme, Doctor Stephen Strange. After helping Peter Parker deal with the Multiverse-breaking antics of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Cumberbatch will have his own insanity to take care of in next year's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Cumberbatch continues to make his presence felt as one of the Avengers' cornerstones, particularly with founding members like Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man and Chris Evans' Captain America now fading into the background. While the MCU's next team-up adventure is still likely a long way off, the Doctor Strange star will undoubtedly play an important role in bringing the team back together.
Due to Cumberbatch's rising status as one of the Avengers' on-screen leaders, one would think he'd be in line to be compensated properly for that status off-screen as well. As it turns out, this is coming in a big way thanks to how much work he's already put in for Marvel Studios.
How Much Pay Benedict Cumberbatch Earns for Doctor Strange 2
A recent report from Puck News revealed that MCU star Benedict Cumberbatch is set to earn $7.5 million USD plus box office bonuses for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
This marks a significant pay raise from his reported approximate earnings of $6 million for his combined work on 2016's Doctor Strange, 2017's Thor: Ragnarok, and the last two Avengers movies
Doctor Strange Sequel Brings Impressive Salary Raise
As the MCU has grown in popularity over the past decade-plus, Marvel Studios has compensated its biggest stars appropriately with each new appearance as the story's biggest superheroes.
For example, Robert Downey Jr. alone went from making less than $1 million in 2008's Iron Man to a whopping $75 million for 2019's Avengers Endgame. While most of Marvel's biggest names haven't come quite to that level yet, with each new appearance, stars like Cumberbatch seem to find themselves with pay raises nearly every time.
Earning about $1.5 million more in salary for his second solo movie compared to his first, Marvel Studios is confirming their faith in Cumberbatch to continue his run of excellence as the Master of the Mystic Arts. The $7.5 million payday should also see a rise in future MCU movies like the eventual Avengers 5, although he will almost certainly find himself in other projects before that comes too.
For now, Cumberbatch's constant hard work for the MCU is being rewarded in a big way as he prepares for multiple future appearances as the magical maestro.
The actor's next appearance will come soon with Spider-Man: No Way Home. He will then lead the way in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which debuts in theaters on May 6, 2022.
