Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Director Explains How WandaVision Shaped the Story
When Marvel Studios first announced their Phase 4 slate of projects, WandaVision was initially set to premiere after Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The studios entire slate was forced to make changes due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and other miscellaneous reasons. Scott Derrickson was onboard to helm the Doctor Strange sequel until he exited the project due to those pesky creative differences and ultimately Sam Raimi would take his place. With all the behind-the-scenes changes, you'd think that WandaVision releasing first would affect the film, but that doesn't seem to be the case. While speaking with Rolling Stone, Raimi revealed that while the show releasing first didn't impact production, they did have to study the series to develop the storyline for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
"I'm not really sure what the WandaVision schedule was or how it changed" Raimi told the website. "I just know that halfway, or maybe three-quarters of the way into our writing process, I'd first heard of this show they were doing and that we would have to follow it. Therefore, we had to really study what WandaVision was doing, so we could have a proper through line and character-growth dynamic. I never even saw all of WandaVision; I've just seen key moments of some episodes that I was told directly impact our storyline."
Scarlet Witch is rumored to be the main villain in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and while this maybe true the director hinted that the villain could be a variant of the characters in the film. During that same interview, Raimi also revealed who he thinks would win in a fight between Doctor Strange and Scarlet Witch. In a recent discussion with Fandango, it doesn't seem like he's willing to give us a definitive answer.
"Wow. That's a question I've been asking kids on the playground since third grade. Who is stronger, this character or that character? Well, I think Wanda's magic, from Marvel lore, is more powerful than almost any of the other characters in this picture, but Doctor Strange has the knowledge of the mystic arts that Wanda doesn't have, and he's got the help of Kamar-Taj," Raimi told the website. "If you were to pit them against each other, different altered versions of themselves ... there could be Doctor Strange out there that's more powerful than our Wanda. Or there could be a Wanda out there who is more powerful than our Wanda here. So, because of these altered versions, it's all a mixed bag of possibilities."
Marvel Studios describes Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness as follows: "To restore a world where everything is changing, Strange seeks help from his ally Wong, the Sorcerer Supreme, and the Avengers' most powerful Scarlet Witch, Wanda. But a terrible threat looms over humanity and the entire universe that no longer can be done by their power alone. Even more surprising, the greatest threat in the universe looks exactly like Doctor Strange."
The film is directed by the legendary Sam Rami and will star Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange, Benedict Wong as Wong, Rachel McAdams as Christine Palmer, Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff/ Scarlet Witch, Patrick Stewart as Professor Charles Xavier, Xochitl Gomez as America Chavez and Chiwetel Ejiofor as Baron Mordo. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is set to hit theaters on May 5th, 2022!
What do you think about Sam Raimi's comments? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below or by hitting up our writer @NateBrail on Twitter!