After weeks of speculation about who would be replacing director Scott Derrickson, after his “creative differences”-spurned departure from Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Marvel May have finally found its Director in Sam Raimi.
While no official announcement from Marvel Studios has yet been made about this unexpected (but welcome) choice, Scott Derrickson himself has taken to Twitter to congratulate Raimi on his new gig:
“I’ve worked with Sam Raimi. One of the nicest people I’ve known in the film business, and as a director, a true living legend. What a great choice to take over Dr.Strange.”
Most are in agreement with Marvel picking the legendary filmmaker (Evil Dead series, A Simple Plan), who also has some serious cred (Sony’s first three Spider-Man films), though it may seem like a surprise move on Marvel’s part, having most recently trended toward using less-established (possibly more malleable?) directors for their MCU.
With time running out for a film that is this far into preproduction, Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige runs the risk of a big director clashing with Marvel’s universe defining/unifying story-group, but he has the benefit of having previously worked with Raimi, and also the director’s sterling reputation for bring in films on time/within budget.
There are no delays for Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (so far), and it’s still expected to open a portal to theaters on May 7, 2021.