Marvel Studios is set to open up its 2022 theatrical run in May with the highly-anticipated Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which follows directly from the insanity delivered in 2021's Spider-Man: No Way Home. Benedict Cumberbatch will lead an all-star team including Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff and Benedict Wong as Wong, all while fighting intense threats from multiple universes.
At the helm of this movie is director Sam Raimi, which marks a return to the Marvel universe after changing the superhero genre with the 2000s Spider-Man trilogy. Although this will be his first theatrical release in nearly a decade, Raimi is making his influence felt as he brings this wild Multiversal ride to the big screen.
Raimi takes over from Doctor Strange's Scott Derrickson, who left the directing chair due to creative differences, but remains attached to the sequel as a producer. However, even though he passed the baton to Raimi for the Phase 4 sequel, he recently confirmed that he's not opposed to taking on more directing duties.
Doctor Strange Director Open to Marvel Return
Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson indicated on Twitter that if given the opportunity he would take on directing duties for another Marvel movie.
Responding to a fan who asked if he would consider directing a third Doctor Strange movie, Derrickson shared that he loves working with Marvel and would come back for another directing opportunity if it came:
"I loved working with Marvel and would absolutely do it again."
Derrickson Ready For Another Round with Marvel
Upon hearing the news that Derrickson wasn't going to direct Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, fans were concerned that his relationship with Marvel Studios had soured to the point of no return. Thankfully, this sentiment changed when he remained a producer on the magical sequel and continued to be positive about its development under the Phase 4 umbrella.
Derrickson has regularly shared his passion for the Doctor Strange character and story, which is what made him so passionate about his work on the 2016 origin story. It's evident that he still has plenty of fuel left in the tank regarding Strange's journey in the MCU, and his partnership with Marvel Studios remains strong as Multiverse of Madness prepares to release.
Whether Derrickson takes on the potential Doctor Strange 3 is a mystery, although he could also take the Jon Watts route and switch franchises like Watts will do after Spider-Man with Fantastic Four. No matter what happens, fans should not be surprised if Derrickson sticks with the MCU for the foreseeable future.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will premiere in theaters on May 6, 2022.
