NEW YORK — Benedict Cumberbatch is ready to bring a little magic to “Saturday Night Live.”
The “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” actor will host “SNL” on May 7, the day after his much-anticipated Marvel movie arrives in theaters.
Cumberbatch will be joined on the episode by musical guest Arcade Fire, NBC announced Sunday.
It’s the second “SNL” hosting gig for Cumberbatch, who previously starred on an episode of the sketch comedy series in 2016.
“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” stars Cumberbatch as the titular superhero sorcerer whose manipulation of time caused big problems for the rest of the universe.
The movie, which is Marvel Studios’ second film to be led by Doctor Strange, also stars Elizabeth Olsen, Rachel McAdams and Benedict Wong.
Cumberbatch, 45, recently starred as a domineering cattle rancher in the dark Western drama “The Power of the Dog,” with his performance earning a nomination for best actor at last month’s Academy Awards.
He also appeared as Doctor Strange in last December’s “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” which has grossed nearly $1.9 billion worldwide.
The London-born Cumberbatch is the latest actor with superhero ties to host “SNL” in recent weeks. Oscar Isaac, star of Marvel’s “Moon Knight,” hosted the March 5 episode, while Zoë Kravitz, who plays Catwoman in “The Batman,” led the March 12 show.
“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” star Simu Liu hosted an episode last November.
Next month’s episode will be the fifth time that Arcade Fire, the rock group known for songs such as “The Suburbs” and “Wake Up,” have appeared on “SNL” as the musical guest.
“SNL” is currently in its 47th season. The most recent new episode aired Saturday, with Lizzo starring as both the host and musical guest.
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