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Benedict Cumberbatch 's debut appearance at Comic-Con was never going to be a quiet, sedated affair.
Fans camped overnight at the San Diego event in an effort to up their chances of meeting the Sherlock
But Cumberbatch, 38, was not there to promote the BBC detective drama. Instead, he was supporting DreamWorks’ Penguins of Madagascar
The British actor arrival for Thursday morning’s panel prompted moderator Craig Ferguson to warn the crowd, “If anyone mentions the ‘S’ word, Comic-Con will be cancelled”.
Yet, while questions were kept firmly Penguins -centred much to some fans’ disappointment, Cumberbatch still manage to get the crowd laughing. He was also trending on Twitter within minutes of being introduced on stage.
When asked how he prepared for his role, he replied: “You have to work undercover for a long time. I worked at Yellowstone National Park as a wolf for a while. About a month into it I realised that two other wolves were Christian Bale and Daniel Day-Lewis .”
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Comic Con 2014 attendees Comic Con 2014 Actor Matthew McConaughey attends the Paramount Studios presentation during Comic-Con International 2014 at the San Diego Convention Center
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Comic Con 2014 attendees Comic Con 2014 Allie Shaughnessy, who is dressed as Mystique, during the 2014 Comic-Con International Convention in San Diego, California
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Comic Con 2014 attendees Comic Con 2014 Actor Benedict Cumberbatch attends DreamWorks Animation Press Line during Comic-Con International 2014 at Hilton Bayfront in San Diego, California
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Comic Con 2014 attendees Comic Con 2014 Actor John Malkovich attends DreamWorks Animation Press Line during Comic-Con International 2014 at Hilton Bayfront on July 24, 2014 in San Diego, California
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Comic Con 2014 attendees Comic Con 2014 A fan enjoys the atmosphere as San Diego prepares for Comic Con
Comic Con 2014 attendees Comic Con 2014 People enjoy the atmosphere as San Diego prepares for Comic Con
Comic Con 2014 attendees Comic Con 2014 A costumed man who gave his name as Nomad walks outside of the San Diego Convention Center during the 2014 Comic-Con International Convention in San Diego, California
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Comic Con 2014 attendees Comic Con 2014 Actors Clare Grant and Seth Green attend Hitfix and Lucasfilm's Comic-Con Kick off party during Comic-Con International 2014 at Hotel Solamar in San Diego, California
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The movie itself, about a quartet of witty penguins, received a warm response from the hall, but one fan could not resist breaking the rules and asking whether Cumberbatch would be back for Sherlock next year. “Aw, yeah,” he said, prompting huge cheers.
Another admitted that she was “gonna try not to cry” while putting her question to the actor, to which Cumberbatch replied smoothly, “We’ll all try together”.
Despite being rumoured for a part in Marvel’s forthcoming Doctor Strange , Cumberbatch said Batman was the comic book character he would most like to play. Fans can expect to hear more from Marvel at their presentation on Saturday.
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