Benedict Cumberbatch's return to the Netflix screen is highly anticipated and for good reasons. Following his Oscar-worthy performance in Jane Campion's critically acclaimed The Power of the Dog, audiences and critics alike are eagerly awaiting his next move. Despite bagging 12 lead nominations at the 94th Academy Awards, the movie was a disappointing miss. As the lights dim and the curtain rises, all eyes will be on Cumberbatch to see if he can make a similar comeback, but this time striving for victory.

The star best known for his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes in the hit detective series, Sherlock, is out on another detective journey, but this time with selfish reasons. 

Benedict Cumberbatch's highly anticipated miniseries Eric is set to premiere on Netflix in just 12 hours. The six-part British psychological thriller, which began filming in early 2023, will debut on the American streamer on May 30th. The series follows the story of Vincent, a troubled puppeteer played by Cumberbatch, whose son goes missing in the 1980s in New York. As Vincent's mental health deteriorates, he hallucinates a giant talking puppet named Eric, who becomes his confidant. 

The series explores themes of race, addiction, police corruption, and sexuality, and features a talented cast including Gaby Hoffmann, Jeff Hephner, and McKinley Belcher III. Created by Abi Morgan, his UK-produced US drama series promises to be a gripping and thought-provoking watch with Cumberbatch as a desperate father struggling through self-loathing and guilt. 

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This premiere comes amidst the turmoil of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, previously home to Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange. 

At present, the MCU is at the center of turmoil with only one movie coming out this year, which is Deadpool and Wolverine. While the Universe struggles to maintain momentum, things were not easy for Cumberbatch in his time either. His last appearance in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness received harsh criticism, and so did his cameo in Spider-Man: No Way Home. While it was known that he will reprise his role in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: The Secret Wars, the villain restructuring in Marvel has made the likes of it uncertain as he too recently talked about. 

Talking to The Playlist's Bingeworthy podcast in May this year to promote Eric, Cumberbatch revealed how he knows just as little as everyone else about the future of Doctor Strange in the MCU when asked about the release date for Doctor Strange 3 and the appearance in the upcoming Avengers flick. While this year, MCU is all set to only release the already record-breaking Deadpool & Wolverine and uncertainty around many of the characters, Netflix has been lucky for Cumberbatch, giving him the Oscar-worthy recognition. And with Eric to be out soon, he might enjoy similar success yet again as he did with The Power of The Dog and The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar. 

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Can Benedict Cumberbatch outdo himself to bag an Oscar by his name? Let us know in the comments below.