This May, the landlocked city of Minneapolis will be Sherlocked, and under a Smaug alert, because Benedict Cumberbatch will be making his first fan event appearance in the United States at Wizard World Minneapolis Comic Con -- or, as it will now be known, comic-Khan.
Convention organizer Wizard World (OTCBB: WIZD) has confirmed the English actor will appear Saturday, May 3, at the Minneapolis event, held May 2-4, 2014, and will be available for autographs and photo opportunities.
Cumberbatch is perhaps best known for his portrayal as super sleuth Sherlock Holmes on the PBS and BBC One series Sherlock, which recently aired its third season. He has staked a claim in the mainstream, and in nerd circles, for blockbuster roles as Khan in Star Trek: Into Darkness, and as both the dragon Smaug and the Necromancer in Peter Jackson's The Hobbit trilogy. But his resume additionally includes more dramatic roles in Hawking, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Fifth Estate, August: Osage County and Best Picture Oscar winner 12 Years A Slave. And his name is routinely mentioned in rumors about J.J. Abrams' new Star Wars movies.
However, as well-known as he is for his acting career, the "accidental superstar" -- as T, The New York Times Style Magazine just dubbed him -- is also a beloved one-man sensation. It seems a significant slice of Tumblr alone is occupied by his fandom. Whether it's the meme comparing him to an otter, his leg-kick Top Gear photo, his Chewbacca/Alan Rickman impersonations, the dramatic reading of R. Kelly lyrics or the Cumberbatch name generator, lately he is winning the Internet - and all of pop culture. Just last week at the Academy Awards he photobombed U2 on the red carpet, which launched Cumberbombing. Then there are the "Cumberbitches," a fan segment with a 132,000 Twitter followers (the actor dislikes the term, and finds it "subservient and demeaning"). And lest we forget, there is also a Benedict Cumberbatch coloring book to rival Ryan Gosling's.
Will the actor's presence lead to a large turnout of the "CumberCollective" to Wizard World's Minneapolis event? It would seem likely -- especially if he is cast in Star Wars and it is announced before the convention. Those productions are set to begin filming in May, which could dominate the calendars of any actor involved for the next few years.
Even if he isn't the next Jedi or Sith, the last time Cumberbatch appeared at an American con was via pre-recorded video message for the Sherlock panel at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2013. And that obviously didn't include the possibility for autographs or photos. So it doesn't require Sherlock Holmes to deduce there will be a lot of fans prepping for an unexpected journey to the Twin Cities.