“I really hated you. I thought you were horrible”: Tom Holland Did Not Like MCU Co-star Benedict Cumberbatch’s Awful Character in ‘The Power of the Dog’
Benedict Cumberbatch is quite the heartthrob and there are no two ways about it. The Sherlock star enjoys a massive female following both for his quintessential British boy looks and his charming way with words. But even that good boy charm has taken a back seat when Cumberbatch chose to play the villain. And his toxic, villainous avatar in the 2021 film The Power of the Dog deeply shocked his Avengers: Infinity War co-star Tom Holland so much so that he even began to hate him.
The Power of the Dog was an impressive psychological periodical Western
The Power of the Dog created quite the waves and even got 12 Oscar nominations and won in the best director category for Jane Campion’s impeccable execution of her vision. The film is a psychological Western periodical drama set in 1925 about two ranch-owning brothers – Phil (played by Benedict Cumberbatch) and George (played by Jesse Plemons).
A widow by the name of Rose Gordon (played by Kirsten Dunst) comes their way, and while George, who is played by the Spider-Man star’s real-life spouse, begins to like her, Cumberbatch’s Phil abhors her. He also mocks and brings down at every occasion, Rose’s son Peter for having an effeminate personality.
Soon George and Rose tie the knot but Phil continues to stay critical of her believing that she is a gold digger. The plot takes several eventual turns before ending with a tragedy.
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Benedict Cumberbatch and Tom Holland discussed the former’s character in The Power of the Dog
Tom Holland went on to do an interview along with the Doctor Strange star a few months after the release of the Western and of course, the film was brought up in the conversation. Holland’s views on Cumberbatch’s character were not dissimilar from its general reception in the masses. The 26-year-old candidly shared his opinion of his fellow British,
“When I met you in the beginning of the film, I’m like, ‘Whoa, that’s not the Benedict that I know. What on earth is going on here?’ For the first time in knowing you, I really hated you. I thought you were horrible and so- just grotesque and awful.”
However, the Spider-Man: Homecoming star did have good things to say about the film and its conceptual approach.
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He said,
“As the film progresses what I loved about it was that it has these themes of toxic masculinity and gaslighting but it explores the problem rather than the problem just being present. Not that his actions are justified in any way, but you understand why he is the way he is.”
The Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness star then shared his stance about the film’s handling of toxic behavior manifesting and why it is important for viewers to understand that side of things.
This is not the first time that the 46-year-old has made our gut wrench with a villainous character. His portrayal of Paul Marshall in the 2007 classic periodical drama Atonement, starring other stars like Keira Knightley, Saoirse Ronan, and James McAvoy, was horrendous to watch. To see Cumberbatch play an abuser and rapist was a hard pill to swallow but he did justice to that role, just as he did justice to The Power of the Dog.
