Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness starring Benedict Cumberbatch will have a new director, Sam Raimi. He takes on the role after the surprise departure of Scott Derrickson, who directed 2016’s Doctor Strange.
Raimi confirmed his involvement as director for Marvel’s Doctor Strange 2 while promoting his new Quibi series 50 States of Fright. “I loved Doctor Strange as a kid,” Raimi told journalists on a conference call Tuesday. “He was always after Spider-Man and Batman for me. He was probably No. 5 for me for great comic book characters. He was so original.”
Raimi is best known for creating the Evil Dead horror series, as well as directing Sony’s original Spider-Man trilogy starring Tobey Maguire.
Originally, the sequel to Doctor Strange was scheduled to begin production in May, aiming for a May 2021 release date. But with temporary studio closures due to concerns over spreading coronavirus, that date is now moved to Nov. 5, 2021.