While most of the films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe have their own sense of style, director Scott Derrickson’s 2016 Master of Mysticism adaptation Doctor Strange truly stands out as one of the most visually distinct films. The film was a hit with fans and performed well at the box office, so why did Derrickson walk away from working on the sequel?
Known largely for his work on horror films like Sinister and The Exorcism Of Emily Rose, Derrickson had a certain flair for the visually stunning and brought a flavor all his own to the first Doctor Strange film which saw Benedict Cumberbatch taking on the title role. Not long after the film released, plans for a sequel were announced and Derrickson was confirmed to be returning to helm the follow-up. So what exactly changed and caused him to depart the project?
Derrickson recently stated his thoughts on the matter on his Twitter account, explaining the thought process behind abandoning the upcoming Marvel Studios project. You can check out the original Tweet below:
I’ve made some hard creative choices this year. But I swore after making The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008) that I would never again find myself at the end of somebody else’s movie, and I’m sticking to that.
— N O S ⋊ Ɔ I ᴚ ᴚ Ǝ ᗡ ⊥ ⊥ O Ɔ S (@scottderrickson) December 22, 2020
It seems that Derrickson and Marvel Studios had vastly different plans in mind for the Doctor Strange sequel, which is now titled Doctor Strange: In The Multiverse Of Madness. This wouldn’t be the first time we have seen a director walk away from Marvel Studios over creative differences, and it likely won’t be the last. It is, nonetheless, disappointing to hear that we will never see Derrickson’s vision for a sequel realized.
Doctor Strange: In The Multiverse Of Madness looks to be a massive undertaking that will bring the larger Marvel Multiverse to the forefront of the MCU. In addition to Benedict Cumberbatch returning as the titular Sorcerer Supreme, Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch is also set to join him on this adventure following the events of her new Disney+ series WandaVision that is said to lead into the events of this film.
While it is unfortunate we won’t ever know what plans Derrickson had in mind for this sequel, many fans are equally excited to see what director Sam Raimi will be bringing to the table in his MCU debut. Raimi is no stranger to comic book adaptations as he helmed all three films in the original Spider-Man trilogy for Sony. He is also apparently a big fan of the Doctor Strange character from the comics, so it sounds like our good Doctor is in great hands.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Rachel McAdams, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Wong, and Xochitl Gomez. The film is set to release on March 25, 2022.
Do you think Scott Derrickson made the right choice? Even with all of this, are you still excited for Doctor Strange: In The Multiverse of Madness? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below and stick around Geek Anything for more Marvel news!
