Cumberbatch is one of several “Avengers: Infinity War” stars set for an upcoming “Ellen” appearance; Scarlett Johansson (April 24), Dania Gurira (April 25) and Chris Hemsworth (April 26) are all listed.

Cumberbatch is also appearing in support of his new Showtime series “Patrick Melrose.” [Source]

Benedict Cumberbatch is the first performer to sign up for the New York debut of London’s Letters Live, a stage show that pairs celebrities with actual “literary correspondence” from the likes of Mohandas Gandhi, David Bowie, Tom Hanks, Abraham Lincoln, Patti Smith and Janis Joplin.

Cumberbatch is the first star confirmed for the show’s New York debut engagement on May 18 and 19 at Manhattan’s Town Hall. Additional cast will be announced, though some surprises are planned for the shows.

Created and developed by independent publishing house Canongate, Letters Live is described as a “live celebration of the enduring power of literary correspondence. Each show always features a completely different array of great performers, reading remarkable letters written over the centuries and from around the world. One of the joys of Letters Live is that one never knows who is going to take to the stage or what letter they are going to bring alive.”

A portion of the proceeds from the two NYC shows will support literacy group 826NYC and Entertainment Industry Foundation.

Since its 2013 at the Tabernacle in London, Letters Live has included performances by Cumberbatch, Gillian Anderson, Ian McKellen, Kylie Minogue, Russell Brand, Thandie Newton, Jake Gyllenhaal, Rose McGowan, Riz Ahmed, Juliet Stevenson, LeVar Burton, Mark Hamill, Anjelica Huston, Tom Hiddleston, Sally Hawkins, JJ Abrams, James Corden, Noma Dumezweni, Oscar Isaac, Mary J. Blige, Jude Law, Brie Larson, Nick Cave and Sir Ben Kingsley.

In addition to the missives from Bowie, Gandhi, Joplin, Hanks and Smith, letters read include ones written by Maya Angelou, Elvis Presley, Kurt Vonnegut, Charlotte Bronte, Katherine Hepburn, Richard Burton, James Baldwin and Che Guevara. [Source]

Showtime announced the premiere date for the Benedict Cumberbatch-led limited series “Patrick Melrose” on Friday.

The series will debut on Saturday, May 12 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Showtime hopes to expand its original scripted offerings on Saturday nights with the five-part series, which is based on the semi-autobiographical Patrick Melrose novels by Edward St. Aubyn.

“As the size of our programming slate continues to grow, it makes sense for Showtime to offer another night of premieres – allowing us the opportunity to eventize series like ‘Patrick Melrose,’” said David Nevins, president and CEO of Showtime Networks Inc. “Offering original content on Saturdays not only enables us to fully service our subscribers with diverse offerings, it gives viewers enough time to enjoy them all. And a series with the ambition and quality of ‘Patrick Melrose’ is the perfect place to start.”

Marvel Studios’ highly-anticipated superhero epic is just over two months away and now fans have a chance to spend time with Benedict Cumberbatch before attending the L.A. premiere of Avengers: Infinity War. Fans can enter the contest by making a donation here to support GEANCO and a winner will be drawn at a later date.

What pairs better than Brits and their tea? You and Benedict Cumberbatch. Also with tea. That’s right, you and your luckiest friend will fly out to Los Angeles to join everyone’s favorite detective/genius/hero for some quality tea time—complete with everything from delightful conversation to silly selfies. Think this sounds like the best day ever? Take a deep breath, because there’s more. Before you part ways, you’ll also get tickets for the Avengers: Infinity War premiere, where you’ll be one of the first to see the most anticipated movie of the year… all alongside the coolest and funniest batch of heroes. Flights and hotels are on us.

The theatrical event in which famous actors and musicians read out memorable real letters from history is coming to America with such celebrities as Benedict Cumberbatch, Minnie Driver, Stephen Fry, Jake Gyllenhaal and Mark Hamill.

Letters Live will make its U.S. debut Feb. 26 at the Ace Hotel in Los Angeles. Ticket prices range from $50 to $200, with all profits going to charities.

Others slated to appear include Jarvis Cocker, James Corden, Anjelica Huston, Catherine Keener, Shirley Manson, Ian McShane and Annabelle Wallis.

Cumberbatch, who is also a producer, says the letters are “windows into the love, beauty, pain and humor of their creators and recipients.”

The event started in London in 2013, inspired by Shaun Usher’s bestselling “Letters of Note” series and Simon Garfield’s “To the Letter.” [Source]