Sam Raimi Was The Perfect Doctor Strange 2 Director, Says Producer

Marvel producer Richie Palmer says Sam Raimi was the perfect director for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and teases his unique style. Scott Derrickson, who co-wrote and directed the first Doctor Strange film, was originally set to return for the Marvel Cinematic Universe along with creative partner C. Robert Cargill, though the two would step down in early 2020 over creative differences with the studio. Raimi would be brought on to take the helm later that year with Loki creator Michael Waldron tapped to pen a new script with the former Spider-Man director.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness picks up after the events of WandaVision, Loki season 1 and Spider-Man: No Way Home as Benedict Cumberbatch's titular sorcerer grapples with the consequences of breaking the doors open to the multiverse in the webslinging threequel. As a mysterious new adversary is unleashed, Strange must build a team of allies, including Elizabeth Olsen's Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch, Benedict Wong's Sorcerer Supreme Wong and MCU newcomer America Chavez played by Xochitl Gomez to travel into the multiverse and save the world. Following multiple pandemic-related delays, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is gearing up to hit theaters this May.

In the latest copy of Disney's D23 Magazine (via The Direct), producer Richie Palmer offered some insight for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. When asked about the change in directors during development, Palmer called Sam Raimi the perfect director for the sequel and teased the genre jumps in the film. See what Palmer said below:

"To have Sam Raimi working on this movie is an insane dream come true for all of us… He's one of the godfathers of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. For him to pick up the Doctor Strange story after a Spider-Man movie that has Multiversal ties was really exciting for us. There is no one with better instincts. Whether it's sci-fi, horror, comedy, or romance, Sam is the master. When it comes to a movie like this, where we're incorporating a bunch of different genres, he’s the perfect man for the job, and that's not even getting to how well he works with a camera or that he's the master of suspense in his own right. We're really leaning into those 'Sam Raimi' qualities and making this a truly Sam Raimi movie.”

Doctor Strange Multiverse Madness Nightmare Evil Strange

While the exact creative differences between Derrickson and Marvel have yet to be revealed, outside of developing a story the studio wanted, Raimi's hiring for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has largely been praised by fans of both the genre and filmmaker. Though originally having made a name for himself in the horror genre with The Evil Dead franchise, Raimi would find large success in the world of comic book movies with his original creation Darkman and first bringing Spider-Man to the big screen in the Tobey Maguire-starring trilogy. Given the trailers for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness have teased a horror-tinged MCU sequel, anticipation has continued to grow for Raimi tapping back into his genre roots.

One of the more interesting takeaways from Palmer's discussion of Raimi's work on Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is his hint at a multitude of genres being on display in the film. While the trailers and Olsen have pointed towards it being the scariest Marvel movie to date, the producer's hint of sci-fi, comedy and romance making their way into the sequel does create a sense of curiosity as to how Raimi balances the seemingly conflicting genres in the multiversal adventure. Only time will tell when Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness hits theaters on May 6.

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Source: D23 Magazine (Via The Direct)