Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Reportedly Casting These Two Villains

The Doctor Strange sequel might have suffered a setback this week with director Scott Derrickson departing the project, but a new report claims that the project was still in the casting process for the adventure, as DiscussingFilm notes that two villains were potentially being cast for the film. The project is reportedly seeking both a male and female actor for two villain roles, with the outlet noting that these characters could be Nightmare, who Derrickson previously revealed he had hoped to include in the original film, and possibly either Lilith or Morgan Le Fay, both of which are connected to Strange's mythology.

The departure of Derrickson from the project could throw things into a flux, as the film is set to land in theaters next spring, but Marvel's statement on the matter claimed that they aimed to keep Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' shooting schedule.

"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." The report also noted shooting was still slated to begin in May.

The filmmaker's departure from the project came as a surprise to many, as he has expressed enthusiasm for the character and his future since the 2016 original film debuted. After news of the exit emerged, Derrickson took to Twitter to echo that the reason for the split was "creative differences."

"Marvel and I have mutually agreed to part ways on Doctor Strange: In the Multiverse of Madness due to creative differences," Derrickson shared on Twitter. "I am thankful for our collaboration and will remain on as [executive producer]."

Sadly, the filmmaker's comments leave much room for interpretation, as it's possible we can take the comments at face value, in that Marvel Studios and Derrickson couldn't come to a compromise on certain components of the film, but the extent of those differences is entirely unclear, with it also being possible that any sort of rift was explained under the umbrella term of "creative differences."

The upcoming film was often described as being the Marvel Cinematic Universe's first "horror film," with Derrickson hailing from the world of horror films, though he also shared on Twitter last month that having to adhere to a studio's release date was the "enemy of art," which seemed to be a cryptic tease on the status of the sequel.

Stay tuned for details on Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

Do you think these villains could show up in the film? Let us know in the comments below!