According to the original writer of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, he and Scott Derrickson hadn’t even written a first draft before they left the project. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was officially announced at San Diego Comic-Con last year, where it was also teased as the MCU’s first scary film. Derrickson, who directed 2016’s Doctor Strange, was initially confirmed to return for the second installment, but last month, Derrickson stepped away from the project following creative differences with Marvel.
Since then, Sam Raimi has reportedly been in talks to take on directing duties. Additionally, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has found a new writer in Michael Waldron, who is also serving as showrunner for Marvel’s Disney+ series Loki. Benedict Cumberbatch will reprise his role as Doctor Stephen Strange in Multiverse of Madness, and Elizabeth Olsen is set to join him as Wanda Maximoff following the events of her Disney+ show WandaVision, which is supposed to tie into the film.
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On Twitter, writer C. Robert Cargill decided to clarify some things about his and Derrickson’s exit from Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Based on Derrickson’s previous teases and the various casting rumors that have popped up, many assumed Cargill and Derrickson had already begun working on the script before they left the project. However, according to Cargill, “Scott and I never had the opportunity to write a draft of MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS.” You can see his full statement below:
Since it keeps coming up in news stories, it’s worth noting that Scott and I never had the opportunity to write a draft of MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS, so whatever they are working with now isn’t derivative of our work.
I am of course very excited to see where they take Stephen next.
— C. Robert Cargill (@Massawyrm) February 8, 2020
A large number of comics characters have been rumored to factor into Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, from America Chavez to Brother Voodoo. The classic villain Nightmare has long been expected to be the main antagonist for the film, though there are rumors that Chiwetel Ejiofor could return as Mordo, acting as another villain for Stephen to fight. One person who will not be included in the film is Rachel McAdams, who appeared in Doctor Strange as Christine Palmer.
Considering how Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is supposed to be released in May 2021, it’s a little surprising to hear Cargill and Derrickson hadn’t worked on an initial draft. Waldron was only confirmed for the writing job last week, but there’s a chance he was already hard at work on the script before the official announcement was made. It’s unlikely Marvel would be willing to push Multiverse of Madness back due to their already packed schedule, so a script has to be completed relatively soon. It’s still far too early to tell how Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will turn out, but fans are certainly rattled by these behind the scenes changes.
Source: C. Robert Cargill/Twitter
- Black Widow (2020) release date: May 01, 2020
- Eternals (2020) release date: Nov 06, 2020
- Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) release date: Feb 12, 2021
- Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2021) release date: May 07, 2021
- Spider-Man: Homecoming 3 (2021) release date: Jul 16, 2021
- Thor: Love and Thunder (2021) release date: Nov 05, 2021
- Black Panther 2 (2022) release date: May 06, 2022
