Sam Raimi confirms he'll direct Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness for Marvel Studios during Phase 4. After announcing plans for the next few years in 2019, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has gone through several changes since, and Doctor Strange 2 is at the top of the list. After some differences surfaced between director Scott Derrickson and Marvel Studios, Derrickson left Doctor Strange 2, leaving Marvel to find someone to replace him.

Not too long after Derrickson's exit, it was reported that Sam Raimi was in talks to direct Doctor Strange 2 instead. While Raimi got his start with horror movies, he is best known for his work on Sony's original Spider-Man trilogy starring Tobey Maguire. The first two films in the franchise (and Spider-Man 2's Doctor Strange reference) gave Marvel fans plenty of confidence that Raimi is the perfect person to direct Doctor Strange 2, if a deal closed. Even though Marvel Studios has yet to confirm his involvement, Raimi has done so himself.

Related: Doctor Strange 2 Can Reuse Infinity War's Scrapped Iron Man Suit Swap Scene

Raimi recently spoke to multiple outlets, including ComingSoon, to promote his upcoming Quibi series 50 States of Fright, he discussed his past and future with Marvel. In doing so, he confirmed that he will direct Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

He was so original, but when we had that moment in Spider-Man 2 I had no idea that we would ever be making a Doctor Strange movie, so it was really funny to me that coincidentally that line was in the movie. I gotta say I wish we had the foresight to know that I was going to be involved in the project.

Scarlet Witch Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness Villain Theory

The confirmation that Raimi is directing Doctor Strange 2 is welcomed good MCU news, especially after the film's release date was pushed. Originally scheduled to come out in May of 2021, Disney and Marvel pushed the movie to a November 2021 date as part of a larger Phase 4 reshuffling. The added time, though, could be a blessing in disguise for Doctor Strange 2, as it will now give Raimi even more time to get familiar with the production. The most recent reports indicated production would still begin this summer, so Raimi will more likely just have more time in post-production or to do reshoots down the road.

At this point, it is not entirely clear what story Raimi will tell in Doctor Strange 2, however. Marvel has confirmed that Wanda Maximoff aka Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) will play a major role in the sequel, with Wong (Benedict Wong) and Baron Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor) expected to return alongside Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch). But, there are also reports of many other magical characters who will pop up in the sequel, and lingering rumors point to Nightmare being the villain. With Raimi confirming his involvement, hopefully it won't be too long before more details about Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness become known.

MORE: Avengers: Endgame Deleted Scene Better Set Up Doctor Strange 2

Source: ComingSoon

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