Marvel is now looking for a new director for its upcoming Doctor Strange sequel, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Variety reports that director Scott Derrickson has left the project over creative differences.
In a statement to Variety, Marvel Studios confirmed the director’s departure:
“Marvel Studios and Scott Derrickson have amicably parted ways on Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness due to creative differences,” Marvel said in a statement to Variety, adding, “We remain grateful to Scott for his contributions to the MCU.”
Derrickson confirmed the news himself on Twitter.
Marvel and I have mutually agreed to part ways on Doctor Strange: In the Multiverse of Madness due to creative differences. I am thankful for our collaboration and will remain on as EP.
— N O S ⋊ Ɔ I ᴚ ᴚ Ǝ ᗡ ⊥ ⊥ O Ɔ S (@scottderrickson) January 10, 2020
Derrickson directed the first Doctor Strange film in 2016, which starred Benedict Cumberbatch as the film’s titular character. At last year’s San Diego Comic-Con, Marvel announced the sequel, with a release date of May 7th, 2021, and with Derrickson at the helm.
Marvel described the film as the “first scary MCU film,” and with the events of the live-action streaming series WandaVision set to lead right into it. In October, reports surfaced that Marvel had brought in screenwriter Jade Bartlett to pen the script.
https://reactormag.com/2019/08/05/phase-4-of-the-mcu-is-getting-weird-to-keep-its-universe-together/
The film was apparently set to begin production in May, and Variety reports that Marvel will move ahead with that schedule with a new director. The Hollywood Reporter noted that in December, Derrickson tweeted that “studio release dates are the enemy of art,” hinting at some tension during the film’s preproduction.
This isn’t the first time that Derrickson run into problems over differing creative visions. In 2018, he refused to return for reshoots on TNT’s upcoming Snowpiercer series, saying that “the feature-length pilot I made from that script may be my best work. The new showrunner has a radically different vision for the show. I am forgoing my option to direct the extreme reshoots.”
Ah, man, I can’t remember what it was, but he tweeted some great hints about what was gonna happen in this.
On the whole Snowpiercer show, I just don’t think I can get into that. It appears to be focusing on the passengers on the front of the train, and that would be like an entire Star Wars movie devoted to the casino on Canto Bight.
Any hints as to what the “creative differences” actually were?
And, isn’t this a little late to switch Directors?
-An Anonymous Nerd
I’d guess it would have something to do with Marvel’s new long-term design to introduce multiverses (it’s even in the title). Derrickson may have had some proprietary feelings toward Dr Strange that would have prevented such a blending with future Marvel projects.
Something similar happened with Edgar Wright, who envisioned Ant-Man as a standalone story, rather than something to be rolled into the overarching Avengers storyline. “I saw with my own eyes that Marvel had just pulled the script into their world. I mean, they’ve established a universe, and everyone has come to expect a certain aesthetic [and] a certain feel for Marvel films. And what Edgar was creating was much more in the Edgar Wright camp of films. They were very different.” -Evangeline Lilly edgar-wright-ant-man-production-problems
Even James Gunn fell into that type of wishful thinking, saying at one point that his little corner of the MCU featuring the Guardians wouldn’t intersect with the Avengers films (which was kinda naive). Maybe it was a coincidentally good thing (though not voluntary) that he got a break from that franchise and didn’t have to suffer from a case of creative differences.
Btw, I saw some concept art for a Celestial to be featured in the upcoming Eternals. Starting to get excited.
I’m less excited that I otherwise would have been because of the news that WandaVision is feeding into it. I am not subscribing to Disney+ under any circs, and that is inevitably cause huge problems with me and the MCU. Oh, well. It was nice while it lasted.
@1
” an entire Star Wars movie devoted to the casino on Canto Bight. “
If it was a Star Wars take on “Casablanca” it might be interesting.
An entire Star Wars movie (or trilogy, even) devoted to Canto Bight could be incredible. My biggest beef with RoS was its wholesale rejection of the bulk of TLJ, which was hands down the best SW movie since the OT.
I’m available.
@5&6
Don’t get me wrong, I loved that part. But I have no desire to watch an entire movie about the plight of the rich. Give me a movie about the broom kid leading a revolution and burning that place to the ground.
In Re Doctor Strange, it seems to me based on Derrickson’s quoted statements above, they want to he movie made more quickly than he’s comfortable with.
@@.-@, You don’t know what you’re missing. Mandalorian is incredible, even for people who aren’t die hard about Star Wars.
I think a Canto Bight Disney+ series could be awesome. But I’d want it to be like Ocean’s 11 in a Galaxy, Far, Far Away
Comparing the results of MCEU director changes with Lucas film director changes, this announcement does not particularly concern me. At least so far, requiring marvel directors to stick with the grand unified program has led to generally good results.
@8 – oh absolutely. To be clear, the movie (or trilogy) I want out of Canto Bight is the proletarian revolution led by broomstick kid and his buddies on their space horses.
Of course there is already a Canto Bight tie-in anthology. It mostly does focus on the underbelly, rather than the glam.
@13 – That book is actually probably one of my favorites of the new canon.