Sam Raimi would be the perfect director for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The Doctor Strange sequel has become something of a problem child for Marvel Studios, with director Scott Derrickson stepping down due to creative differences. Derrickson and Marvel seem to have parted company on amicable terms, and he’s remaining credited as an executive producer, but it’s still a real blow.

Neither party is going public about the nature of their dispute, but it’s not hard to join the dots. Derrickson is an accomplished horror director, known for films like The Exorcism of Emily Rose, Sinister, and Deliver Us From Evil. Speaking at SDCC, he strongly implied Doctor Strange 2 would be the MCU’s first horror movie. Unfortunately, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige had other ideas. “I wouldn’t necessarily say that’s a horror film,” he observed, “but … it’ll be a big MCU film with scary sequences in it.” The director and the studio clearly disagreed over the extent to which Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness should be influenced by the horror genre. Presumably those differences became irreconcilable.

There’s been intense speculation over just who would replace Derrickson as director, with Marvel keen to push on with the project regardless. Surprisingly, the latest reports suggest veteran superhero and horror director Sam Raimi is in talks for Doctor Strange 2. Marvel Studios has a reputation for hiring talented filmmakers with only a small number of features behind them; this typically allows them to push their house style a little more. But Raimi would be the exception, easily the most accomplished filmmaker to work with Marvel Studios to date. In this case, that really shouldn’t be a problem.

Kevin Feige and Sam Raimi Have Worked Together Before

Nowadays, Kevin Feige is something of a legend, the visionary mind behind the MCU’s stratospheric success. Rewind back to the beginning of the 21st century, though, and he was a fresh-faced associate producer who impressed Marvel’s Avi Arad with his knowledge of the Marvel Universe. Feige was hired by Marvel Studios, who at the time operated by licensing their characters out to film studios; and he soon found himself working with Sam Raimi on the Spider-Man films. “And when I say ‘working with,’ I say that more as like hanging out and watching,” Feige told Vanity Fair. Feige has never gone into detail about just what he learned, but in various interviews he’s suggested his time with Raimi was foundational to his career as a filmmaker.

For his part, Raimi has long watched the MCU from a distance, delighted with Marvel’s transformation into a box office juggernaut. Back in 2015, he was asked whether he’d ever want to work with Marvel again. “I think they’re so complete now, Marvel,” he observed. “They probably don’t need me anymore. But if they needed me? I’d love to. It’s great to be wanted.” It looks as though Marvel has indeed decided it needs Raimi - and hopefully that means he’ll return, albeit with a very different relationship with Kevin Feige, who’s now president of Marvel Studios.

Sam Raimi Is One Of The Best Superhero Directors

No other director has Sam Raimi’s reputation when it comes to the superhero genre. There’s a reason Kevin Feige learned so much from Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy; it’s because the first two films are so very good. Raimi effortlessly blended his trademark horror with the kind of light-hearted humor that’s now become the Marvel house style; probably the most disturbing stand-out scene was when Doctor Octopus awoke in a hospital to learn his robot arms had fused to his body. Raimi’s character-work was solid, and his casting choices were so good that many still contend Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst are the best Spider-Man and Mary Jane. Even secondary characters were handled well, with J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson so perfectly cast that he reprised the role in Spider-Man: Far From Home. Action scenes were brutal and visceral, with Spider-Man paying the physical and emotional price for winding up on the wrong side of a Green Goblin bomb or one of Doctor Octopus’ arms.

It’s true the Spider-Man trilogy ended not with a bang, but a whimper; yet that was largely due to studio interference. “I tried to make [Spider-Man 3] work,” Raimi reflected, “but I didn’t really believe in all the characters, so that couldn’t be hidden from people who loved Spider-Man. If the director doesn’t love something, it’s wrong of them to make it when so many other people love it.” This lesson could be key to delivering Doctor Strange 2, with Multiverse of Madness so packed with characters there are concerns it could be over-stuffed.

Sam Raimi Knows How To Make The Horror Genre Fun

Meanwhile, Sam Raimi’s horror background - outside of the superhero genre, he’s best known for the Evil Dead films - means he’s perfect for Doctor Strange 2. By now it’s clear Marvel Studios has no desire to make a full-on horror film, but the fact remains that there’s clearly a desire for a more diverse range of tones and styles in the superhero genre. Fox proved that with Deadpool and Logan, while Todd Phillips’ Joker became the most profitable comic book adaptation of all time. While Raimi’s blend of superheroes and near-horror would be very different to Derrickson’s, it would still be tremendously effective.

Doctor Strange 2 officially bears the title Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Most viewers have assumed this refers purely to alternate Earths, in a similar form to DCTV’s recent Crisis on Infinite Earths event. Derrickson, however, had hinted Marvel’s concept of the Multiverse was drawn from Doctor Strange #21, envisioning Earth as at the center of an infinite sea. Alternate Earths - of the type seen in Avengers: Endgame - are just one swim-stroke removed from the center; the further away you go, the more the laws of nature change, and there are even pocket universes such as Mephisto’s Hell, or the Dark Dimension. It’s worth remembering Marvel want to move ahead with Doctor Strange 2, which means the script won’t be changing much, so this will presumably be true even in a post-Derrickson world. The horror potential of this model - which Feige himself has suggested could introduce supernatural monsters such as vampires and werewolves into the MCU - is tremendous. And Raimi is perfectly equipped to make the most of it.

This Is Just The Good News Doctor Strange 2 Needs

Ultimately, Sam Raimi’s involvement could be just what Doctor Strange 2 needs. It was seen as the most exciting Phase 4 film when it was announced at SDCC, but the narrative has become a lot more troubled as a result of Derrickson’s departure and a stream of rumors continually adding more characters to the mix. There’s a sense in which Marvel seem to have lost audiences’ trust with Doctor Strange 2, and they need to regain it. A fan-pleasing announcement like the return of Raimi would definitely serve the purpose; he’s a legend among lovers of the superhero genre, and all the previous news and reports would be forgotten.

As noted, Raimi has previously suggested he’d return to Marvel if he felt he were needed. When it comes to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, there really is a surprisingly Raimi-shaped hole in Marvel’s plans. Hopefully the talks go well and he signs up for the superhero sequel - given a chance to prove to the world that he’s still every bit as good as in 2004, when he made the classic and unforgettable Spider-Man 2.

More: Doctor Strange 2 Risks Having Too Many Characters

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