Sam Raimi is already well known in the world of Marvel as director of the 2002-2007Spider-Mantrilogy, and even more known for hisEvil Deadfranchise, so bringing Raimi back into the Marvel fold forDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnesswas never going to result in a light and airy rom-com style movie. Marvel Boss Kevin Feige knows this better than many, having worked as associate/executive producer on Raimi’s originalSpider-Manmovies, and he is glad to have Raimi on board theMCUtrain for the franchise’s darker and scarier addition.
“Everything we do at Marvel Studios is from the point of view of the audience, and how do we make the audience feel one way, or how do we evoke an emotion out of an audience? I really feel like I learned that from watching Sam on the Spider-Man movies,“Kevin Feigetold Rotten Tomatoes of the Sony Pictures production. “I was just very lucky to be there working for the former head of Marvel Studios, Avi Arad, and just watching. Watching Avi, watching Laura Ziskin, the producer of that, watching Amy Pascal, who ran the studio at the time, and particularly Sam Raimi put those movies together.”
“So now, being in a position that Sam is back in the Marvel universe and working for us onDoctor Strange, which aside from Spider-Man - both Steve Ditko co-creations - was his favorite character, is really quite remarkable and full circle for me personally from my journey at Marvel,” Feige continued. “But really, it’s just exciting to get to watch Sam work again and to see Sam Raimi put his Sam Raimi stamp on Doctor Strange, on the Multiverse, on Marvel.”
Much like Peter Jackson, who went from creating and directing low-budget gory horrors likeBad TasteandBrain DeadtoLord of The RingsandKing Kong,Sam Raimiis more than capable of creating a mainstream movie but tingeing it with his dark style, and having been responsible forThe Evil DeadandDrag Me To Hell, there is no doubt that Raimi can bring some disturbing sequences to the table. Having already been given a glimpse of what could be held within the multiverse opened up byLoki’s finale, there are a lot of dark and sinister beings who could be brought out of the shadows.
“For people who know what that stamp is, they can be very excited,” Feige said. “And for people who don’t yet know what that stamp is, I can’t wait for them to see this movie, be blown away by it, and go, ‘What else has he done?’, and delve into Sam Raimi’s filmography - which is one of the best of all time.”
Michael Waldron, who acted as head writer onLokiand penned the script for Doctor Strange’s next outing, spoke about the movie and working with Sam Raimi when talking toFriends From Work. “[Going into the horror world is] obviously something that Scott Derrickson, the director of the first movie, does so well…obviously that influence, you feel it in the first one,” Waldron said to Friends From Work. “Even though it’s not a horror movie, there is like this sort of spookiness throughout it. It’s part of what makes that movie work so well. It’s cool, I’m glad that there was the chance to maybe push [the sequel] in aslightly scarier direction. Just because Sam does that so well.”
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness arrives in cinemas in March 2022. This news originated atComicBook.com.
