In news sure to excite fans of Marvel Comics, Sam Raimi is in talks to direct the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Raimi is best known as director of the Spider-Man trilogy from the 2000s, which starred Tobey McGuire as the titular Wall Crawler. The films, particularly 2004’s Spider-Man 2, are beloved by fans of the genre and are considered the template of all modern comic book films. While details on the upcoming film are few and far between, those close to the production say that it will introduce the concept of the multiverse into the MCU. It is also rumored that the film will feature a horror element, which also makes Raimi a perfect fit due to his work with the Evil Dead series.
While Raimi has not spoken about directing the Sorcerer Supreme’s next outing, past comments by the filmmaker speak to his eagerness to rejoin the Marvel family. In an interview with The Week in 2015, Raimi said that he was impressed by how successful Marvel Studios has become, adding that he would “love” to direct one of their films if given the chance. Thus far, fan response has been overwhelmingly positive to the news that Raimi might return to the world of Marvel. Scott Derrickson, who directed the first Doctor Strange film and who was set to direct Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness before leaving the project due to creative disagreements with Marvel, gave Raimi his full support. Bruce Campbell, Raimi’s frequent collaborator and star of the Evil Dead series, gave a comedic response to news of Raimi potentially directing the next Doctor Strange film, wisecracking that Raimi’s involvement with the film doesn’t sound strange at all.
Marvel fans are also hopeful that Raimi’s involvement in the film will be a way to link the Tobey McGuire version of Spider-Man to the MCU. Since 2018’s world-colliding animated film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, fans have been hopeful to see a live action crossover that would bring Tom Holland’s version of the Web Slinger into a story with McGuire’s iteration of the character or even the one played by Andrew Garfield in the Amazing Spider-Man series.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is scheduled for release on May 7, 2021.
