Jason Blum recently discussed Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Blade, theorizing they could present a challenge for Marvel. Though both movies are currently in development, Doctor Strange 2 is the only one with a release date—it comes out March 25, 2022. There's also quite a bit more information about that film known at this time. Spider-Man director Sam Raimi will direct the movie, taking over for original Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson. In comparison, very little is known about Blade at this time. However, as was announced at San Diego Comic-Con 2019, Mahershala Ali will play the title character.

Though Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Blade will likely release at least a couple years apart, the movies have often been grouped together because they will both feature horror elements Marvel hasn't yet explored. This will be a departure for the company largely known for its splashy fight scenes and quippy banter. In contrast, Blum's company, Blumhouse Productions, is arguably the most well known in the scary movie genre, having been a part of dozens of horror movies since Blum founded it in 2000. This makes him uniquely qualified to weigh in on upcoming attempts at horror.

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In a recent interview with Inverse, Blum did just that. The producer was asked about Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Blade, specifically whether Marvel will be able to craft a scary movie successfully. Blum answered:

I’m of two minds. I would never bet against Marvel. They have a relatively good track record — that’s a joke, they have one of the best track records ever, right? I also think it’s a challenge to do horror at big budgets, but if anyone can do it, it’s Marvel.

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Blum's response is rather diplomatic—he makes an excellent point about Marvel's track record with its movies. However, his comment about the difficult of creating horror movies on big budgets makes sense as well. Many of the defining scary movies of the last decade, including those from Blumhouse, were made for pennies compared to what Marvel spends on its films. Movies like A Quiet Place and Get Out prove that crafting a compelling, genuinely scary story is what matters far more than big, expensive sequences, at least in the horror genre.

Of course, it remains to be seen just how much Marvel will lean into the scarier elements of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Blade. It's worth noting Derrickson talked up Doctor Strange 2's horror components when he was still with the project, only for Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige to later clarify the movie has "scary sequences," but isn't an outright horror film. Considering Blade's central character is a vampire hunter, it seems like it will be harder to avoid horror in that movie, though the reception to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness could certainly play a role.

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Source: Inverse

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