It looked like something out of a strange urban drama. Oscar-nominated actor Benedict Cumberbatch got into a furious road fight with a cyclist who calls himself a “vigilante.” The whole thing happened last Tuesday evening on Pancras Road near St Pancras International and King’s Cross Station.
The actor, known for ‘Sherlock‘ and ‘Doctor Strange,’ was riding a cargo bike around 5.30 PM during rush hour. Someone claimed he ran a red light in a bike lane. A second cyclist chased him down and confronted him and what began as a traffic mistake quickly turned into a very public battle of wills.
Explosive Exchange Between Benedict Cumberbatch and the Cyclist
The Sun obtained the video of the Marvel star in a grey jacket. He wasn’t hiding his face and looked really upset. He stood face to face with the other cyclist, who wore a cap and mask. From there on, things got nasty fast.
Related: Benedict Cumberbatch’s New Comments Prove Doctor Strange Is Still MCU’s Most Vital Hero
The masked cyclist yelled at Cumberbatch, “You’re deluded. You’re lying. I was behind you the entire time.” He accused the actor of breaking several traffic rules.
Cumberbatch tried to defend himself, saying, “Dude, you verbally abused me.” But the cyclist didn’t care who he was talking to. He shot back with a sarcastic tone, “Oh no, I verbally abused the guy who completely repeatedly broke the law.“
Then the cyclist went further. He said the actor ran three different lights and rode illegally through a zebra crossing. At that point, Cumberbatch gave in a little but still denied the main accusation. He admitted, “I did it once,” and then added, “No, I did not” to the other charges.
“Pompous Road Rage” That Blocked Traffic
The whole argument lasted about ten minutes. It blocked a lane of traffic, and people watching weren’t sure if it was real or some kind of performance art.
In case you missed it: Benedict Cumberbatch Thinks His Early Doctor Strange Performance Was “A Bit Stiff”, Learned From Tom Holland And Robert Downey Jr.’s MCU Playbook
One person who saw it told the Daily Mail, “It was crazy. It was such a pompous road rage that it almost felt like it had been staged. Benedict still managed to charm everyone watching, even though he was having a meltdown. They went at each other about five times.”
The witness called the accuser a “vigilante” type. They said even though he was surprised when he recognised the ‘Doctor Strange‘ actor, he “doubled down on his rage.“
From Angry Confrontation to Kindness with School Kids
Even after all that yelling, Cumberbatch quickly changed his tone. He is a father of three after all. In the middle of the argument, a group of school kids came up to him. They didn’t see an angry cyclist. Instead, they saw the Sorcerer Supreme from the Marvel movies.
The eyewitness said, “These school kids asked, ‘is that Dr. Strange?’ Benedict said, ‘not at the moment, in a minute.’ He was lovely with them; they were awe-struck.”
After the fight ended, the masked cyclist rode off into the London evening. Cumberbatch kept his word. He stayed to take selfies with the young fans before leaving.
This isn’t the first time the actor has had problems while on two wheels. Back in 2017, he was actually called a “real-life Sherlock” because he stopped four attackers from mugging a cyclist in central London. But in 2019, he got into another fight on the Isle of Wight when a cyclist slapped him across the face after an alleged collision.
Cumberbatch’s representatives have not said anything about this latest incident. No formal charges were filed after Tuesday’s argument on Pancras Road.
You might also want to read: Marvel Is Already Deep Into ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Season 3 After That Brutal Finale
