Proving he’s every bit the hero off-screen, you may have heard the news that Benedict Cumberbatch last week leapt to the defense of a Deliveroo cyclist after he was attacked by four muggers in central London.
But in typically self-deprecating fashion, the actor, best known for his roles in Avengers: Infinity War and Sherlock, downplayed his actions, and insists he’s “not a hero” despite scaring off the perpetrators before they could inflict any serious, long-lasting damage.
Per The Sun, Cumberbatch revealed that he was travelling in an Uber with his wife, Sophie Hunter, when he noticed the altercation, at which point he began shouting “leave him alone.” That’s according to his taxi driver at the time, Manual Dias, who added that the “brave and selfless” Cumberbatch helped save the Deliveroo cyclist from nasty head injuries, as witnesses revealed that he’d been struck over the head with a wine bottle just prior to Cumberbatch intervening.
Still, while appearing at the Hay Literary Festival, the MCU mainstay said that he’s “no hero. There are real-life heroes out there and I’m not one of them.”
According to Manual Dias, the entire ordeal unfolded right around the corner from London’s Baker Street – the fictional home of the great Sherlock Holmes.
They tried to hit him but he defended himself and pushed them away. He wasn’t injured. Then I think they also recognised it was Benedict and ran away. He asked the rider how he was and when he said, ‘I’m OK’ Benedict just hugged him.
London has been rocked by numerous gang-related crimes of late; prominent comedian Michael McIntyre was robbed just last week. The city has also seen more than 22,000 moped-related crimes in the past year – more than double the number from 2017.
Circling back to Benedict Cumberbatch, though, and his heroism ought to restore your faith in humanity.