Sam Raimi Has Seen Only 4 or 5 Marvel Cinematic Universe Movies

Director Sam Raimi says that he has only seen 4 or 5 MCU films before helming Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Marvel Studios' franchise was launched in 2008 via Robert Downey Jr. and Jon Favreau's Iron Man. Long before that, however, Raimi was already in the Marvel movie world, having spearheaded Sony's first Spider-Man trilogy. Now that he's returning to the world of Marvel, though, all eyes are on one of the most highly-anticipated movies to come out of the MCU's Phase 4.

Since Raimi wrapped up Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man movies, the landscape has greatly changed for comic book movies. Not only has Marvel all but taken over Hollywood, releasing 27 films since 2008, but they are the most profitable blockbusters out there. Recently, Kevin Feige and his team have recently expanded with the launch of its TV branch via Disney+. More MCU films are coming, including Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. But apparently, Raimi isn't that familiar with the bigger world that it belongs to.

Speaking with Fandango as the movie's tickets go on sale, the director discussed the MCU and how he's only seen a handful of Marvel Studios' films. Despite this, Raimi shared that he's well-versed with the comics, especially from the '70s and '80s, which is why he knows the characters' history in print. Read his full comment below:

I had seen Iron Man, the first Avengers, Black Panther and Doctor Strange, and little clips of the other movies. They've made 28 movies. I've only really seen four or five, so I'll say not that familiar. That's part one. By the way, I loved what I saw, but not that familiar. But part two is I was a giant fan of the Marvel comic books of the '70s and '80s and into the '90s. So, I was super familiar with the characters, and their stories, and their interactions. That's what the Marvel movies are based on. So that's my answer.

For some, this might seem like a red flag. After all, the MCU is known for its interconnected storytelling, and with the franchise continuing to evolve, it's getting more difficult to preserve its established continuity. Audiences already have several lingering questions, and having someone who's not that familiar with the lore helm a big movie like Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness might create some more inconsistencies. Thankfully, the existence of the multiverse allows Marvel Studios to have a quick fix with regard to these issues. In any case, Feige and the studio have a team that's dedicated to overseeing their upcoming projects to ensure they don't blatantly contradict past ones.

Instead, Raimi's unfamiliarity with the MCU may actually be a great thing for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. One of the biggest criticisms about the franchise is its formulaic approach to its storytelling. Raimi coming in with barely having any idea what that formula is would help him in creating something totally fresh and new for the viewers. At this point in Marvel's history, that's more important than ever. The MCU needs that to continue holding the audience's interest for the foreseeable future. Fortunately, the MCU movies he's seen are some of the best in the franchise, so if he can take away anything from them and marry it with his own style of moviemaking, then it's safe to say that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will be great.

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Source: Fandango