Benedict Cumberbatch Calls Tom Holland's Performance 'Gobsmackingly Brilliant' In 'Spider-Man: No Way Home'

Benedict Cumberbatch is all praise for actor Tom Holland's performance in the highly anticipated movie "Spider-Man: No Way Home."

The 45-year-old actor, who plays Doctor Strange’s character, explained the "pinch-yourself moments" while filming Marvel movies, especially opposite the character of Spider-Man.

"All the time when you’re making those movies are pinch-yourself moments," Cumberbatch told Esquire on Wednesday. "I’m never over the giddy nature of working opposite Spider-Man. It’s pretty cool."

He further praised Holland for being amazing. "I managed to skate and surf and had a lot of time with Tom Holland being utterly, utterly gobsmackingly brilliant," he added. "He’s just the real deal."

This is not the first time Cumberbatch and Holland have worked together in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Previously, both the characters have appeared in 2018's "Avengers: Infinity War" and "Avengers: Endgame," which was released in 2019.

Cumberbatch, who played Doctor Strange for the first time in 2016 in the movie of the same name, recalled how he was not sure about taking the character at first. The actor explained to the outlet he thought the comic book character was very dated and sexist.

"I kind of had my doubts about it, from just going into the comics," he explained. "I thought ‘This is a very dated, sexist character’. And it’s very tied up in that crossover, that kind of East meets West occultism movement of the Sixties and Seventies."

During the interview, Cumberbatch also revealed how he sees his career. "I’ve always looked at my career as a form of higher education. It’s a wonderful thing to be able to do in the name of work."

On the work front, the actor will be next seen in a romantic drama, "The Power of the Dog," which is slated to release in theaters on Nov. 17 and stream on Netflix from Dec. 1 onwards.

"Spider-Man: No Way Home," on the other hand, is slated to release on Dec. 17. The actor will also star in "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness," which is under post-production and expected to release on May 6, 2022.