Sam Raimi Interview: Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness makes the most of its director Sam Raimi, whose horror filmography and original Spider-Man trilogy are much beloved, by merging the worlds he's best known for. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) opens the metaphysical door to gruesome creatures and powerful forces after dabbling in the multiverse during Spider-Man: No Way Home, and now he must deal with the consequences.

His trusted advisor and current Sorcerer Supreme Wong (Benedict Wong) is along for the ride, though not always willingly, but the Doctor Strange sequel has many other characters to introduce. While already an Avenger in her own right, this will be Wanda's (Elizabeth Olsen) first time teaming up with Strange, and her first film following the events of WandaVision. Meanwhile, America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) is new to the MCU altogether, and fans are excited to learn what she'll bring to the story.

Screen Rant spoke to Raimi and discussed how he felt about his return to the MCU felt, what film secrets he could tease, and what's next on his roster.

wanda maximoff doctor strange 2 fortnite leak

Screen Rant: Coming into this film, what would you say your number one goal was?

Sam Raimi: To faithfully serve the fans of the Marvel sagas that have been going on for so many episodes, to be true to the characters of Doctor Strange and Wanda, and to give the fans what would be the logical next installment in their characters' growth.

Does it feel like a full circle moment for you? What does it feel like coming back into Marvel and into the MCU?

Sam Raimi: Well, seeing Spider Man: No Way Home was more like a full circle moment, to see those characters come back.

But this is a new adventure. It's really exciting to work with this new team. And the head of the team is my old friend Kevin Feige, who really cares about the integrity of the characters, and therefore it's a real pleasure to work for him.

Because oftentimes, making movies before with the superheroes, you'd have to teach a studio who a hero was and argue with your marketing department. "No, it's not funny. It's supposed to be serious." But Marvel owns these characters. They're out there to protect the integrity and be true to the characters, and the marketing is really clear. And the message is clear.

When did you know that Tobey [Maguire] was coming back, and what did that feel like for you?

Sam Raimi: Marvel pulled me aside - Kevin and Amy Pascal, the producer - and said, "Here's what we're going to do in the next Spider-Man movie." I thought it was just really funny and super awesome.

The multiverse has been mentioned a few times in Loki and No Way Home. How do those impact what's happening here?

Sam Raimi: The same writer, Michael Waldron, wrote Loki. But basically, it's less Loki that's the influence, and more the Avengers movies after Thanos and WandaVision storylines that funnel into our script. And the first Doctor Strange movie, I think. Those are really the influences of story.

Sorry, and Spider-Man: No Way Home also. All of those things were giving us direction as to where we should go.

Multiverse equals a huge sandbox and endless possibilities of things you can do. How do you go about picking and choosing what parts you want to bring in?

Sam Raimi: I think that what Michael Waldron tried to do was bring in those parts that were meaningful to the characters in our story.

Who should Doctor Strange meet in the multiverse that would be the most interesting? I think Michael's answer is other versions of himself. If he had made certain choices in our world, he would have been those people, so he's able to self-reflect and have some really interesting combinations of these characters meeting one another.

Do you have a favorite multiversal Strange?

Sam Raimi: Yes, but I can't tell you it is.

Okay, we haven't seen them yet. What would you say that doing this movie means for your relationship with the MCU? Could we see you doing another MCU film?

Sam Raimi: Yes, as long as there's a team like that, who really cares about the characters and the integrity of the Marvel comic book story - and therefore the fans. It would be a real pleasure.

Do you think something like Spider-Man 4 could be on the table?

Sam Raimi: I currently don't have any plans to make Spider-Man 4. And they're so successful with the new Spider Man series that I don't know if that's gonna happen or not. I haven't pursued that.

What about Crawl 2?

Sam Raimi: Crawl 2? We're working on a script for that. For Alexandre Aja to direct.

Lastly, can you tell me about bringing in America Chavez? She is so captivating in that first 20 minutes. She just knocks it out of the park. What is it like working with Xochitl and bringing that character in?

Sam Raimi: It's great, because I love the fact that Marvel's very inclusive, and this young Latina can now represent a heroic figure for many people out there that were underrepresented before.

Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness Synopsis

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness review — Rachel McAdams, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Xochitl Gomez in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

Doctor Stephen Strange casts a forbidden spell that opens a portal to the multiverse. However, a threat emerges that may be too big for his team to handle.

Check out our interview with the stars of Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness, Benedict Wong and Xochitl Gomez.

Next: Does Doctor Strange 2 Have An After Credits Scene (& How Many?)

Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness arrives exclusively in theaters on May 6.