Benedict Cumberbatch jokes about Will Smith's Oscars slap

In his recent Saturday Night Live monologue, British actor Benedict Cumberbatch joked about the controversial Oscars incident where Will Smith slapped Chris Rock for making a joke about Will's wife Jada Pinkett Smith. 

Cumberbatch said, ""I really am thrilled to be back hosting 'Saturday Night Live'. It's been a really fun, great week."

He said, "I have to be honest, though, because most of the sketch writers pitched me sketches every day, and most were about Doctor Strange - which is great, I love the guy, I love playing the character ... but I have been in other films."

He joked that Lorne Michaels - the executive producer of Saturday Night Live - asked him what other films he'd appeared in, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

The actor added: "I said, 'Well, like The Power of the Dog. And he said, 'Nobody saw it.' I said, 'Come on, man, I was nominated for an Oscar for that.' I mean, I didn't win. I was beat by Will Smith." He then added: "No, not physically! Not physically!"

Smith smacked Rock during the Oscars ceremony, after the stand-up comedian made a joke about his wife. The Hollywood star subsequently described his behaviour as 'shocking, painful, and inexcusable'.

Meanwhile, Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse Madness has opened to a good response from both critics and audience. Directed film Sam Raimi, the film is lauded for being starkly different from other Marvel films.