Benedict Cumberbatch made his first Comic-Con appearance Thursday at the Dreamworks Animation panel in Hall H, where he joked about the rumors of him being cast to play Doctor Strange in an upcoming Marvel movie.

Benedict Cumberbatch Jokes About Dr. Strange

Cumberbatch was on hand to discuss his role in Dreamworks’ upcoming Penguins of Madagascar alongside his co-star John Malkovich, but many attendees wanted to know more about his sci-fi/fantasy roles in, most notably in BBC’s Sherlock.

When the panel was opened up to audience Q&A, one attendee asked what comic book hero the actors would like to portray onscreen.

While Malkovich answered with a deadpan “Lois Lane,” Cumberbatch played into the Comic-Con rumors, saying, “Nurse Normal…that was a joke on Doctor Strange.”

2/2 What comic book hero would Benedict Cumberbatch play? "Nurse Normal? Wait for it…that was a joke on Doctor Strange…Uh, Batman." #SDCC

— Adam B. Vary (@adambvary) July 24, 2014

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Cumberbatch Reveals Dr. Strange Scheduling Conflict

Cumberbatch is a fan-favorite to play the Marvel superhero, with many hoping that Marvel will announce his casting at their panel on Saturday. In a post-panel interview with MTV News, Cumberbatch danced around rumors of his possible casting.

“As far as I’m aware, even if that was the case, it couldn’t work out because I’m doing a little play called Hamlet in London…So I don’t think I could even, if that was in the cards. It sounds like a fantastic project. It’s a shame if I miss out, but who knows?” Cumberbatch said.

However, when pressed on whether or not he had even been approached for the role, Cumberbatch admitted that he “couldn’t possibly comment,” suggesting that there had been talks of him playing Dr. Strange.

The Dr. Strange film, to be directed by Scott Derrickson, would likely need to begin filming in the spring of 2015, and Cumberbatch has already announced that he will star in Hamlet from August to October in 2015.

– Olivia Truffaut-Wong

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