Benedict Cumberbatch to star in 'Spider-Man 3': report

Benedict Cumberbatch is set to join the cast of "Spider-Man 3" as a mentor to Tom Holland's Peter Parker.

A report from The Hollywood Reporter revealed that the actor will reprise his role as Doctor Strange. His character will step in as father-figure/mentor to Peter Parker in Tony Stark's absence. Marvel fans may remember that Stark, a.k.a. Iron Man, died in "Avengers: Endgame" when he sacrificed his life to save mankind and end the reign of Thanos.

Stark's death was really a big loss for Peter as "Spider-Man: Far From Home" showed. The web crawler initially did not have the heart to continue being an Avenger. The plane scene with Happy proved how much he missed his mentor.

It is not yet known how Doctor Strange will be a big help to Peter Parker in "Spider-Man 3." Although rumours have it that his skills and knowledge on space and time manipulation will be of big help given the appearance of an old villain in the film.

Jamie Foxx will reportedly reprise his "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" role as Electro in "Spider-Man 3." This points to another possibility of Andrew Garfield returning as Spider-Man. This scenario can only happen in one movie if the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) will tell a "Spider-Man" multiverse story.

Garfield played the web-slinger when the rights to the "Spider-Man" films were still under Sony. Now that Sony and Disney/Marvel have agreed to a partnership, the chances of bringing back the old Spider-Man actors are high. Garfield and even possibly Toby Maguire's Spider-Man could appear from another dimension.

Moreover, the surprise cameo of J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson at the end of "Spider-Man: Far From Home" further fuels this theory. The actor played the role opposite Maguire in Sam Raimi's "Spider-Man" movies.

Interestingly, Raimi is directing the "Doctor Strange" sequel "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness." His involvement with the MCU could hint at the possibility of a multiverse story in "Spider-Man 3." Cumberbatch will start shooting for his titular film in October in London. Meanwhile, Holland will begin filming in Atlanta in the same month.