Original Doctor Strange 2 Writer Reflects on Her Marvel Studios Experience (Exclusive)

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was directed by Sam Raimi and written by Michael Waldron, but the initial approach to the sequel saw original director Scott Derrickson returning to helm from a script by Jade Halley Bartlett. Given that the film was being developed in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, the project went through a number of changes, including the shift in the creative leadership of the project. Despite the disappointment of leaving the project, Bartlett recently reflected on the positive experience of working with Marvel Studios and their overall love of comics, describing them as scholars of Marvel. Bartlett’s new film, Miller’s Girl, lands in theaters on January 26th.

“I was on the project for about a year. I was the first writer in on Doctor Strange 2, and it was really fun,” Bartlett shared with ComicBook.com about her time on the project. “There are two versions. There’s the Raimi, Michael Waldron version, which is exquisite, and I love both of them. Then, I was with Scott Derrickson. We developed it for about a year in the room with Kevin [Feige] and Eric [Hauserman Carroll] and Lou [D’Esposito] and Richie [Palmer]. It was Scott and it was really exciting and it was really fun. I still cannot believe I got that job. I don’t know how I got that job. I did get the job. We had a whole draft, and then of course the pandemic happened, which was a nightmare.”

She continued, “I am not allowed to say anything about the draft. I’m so sorry. I can’t tell you anything, but I can tell you that working with them, everybody there really loves their job. They’re so kind and they’re very generous. It was like getting to work with scholars, I guess, scholars of these comic books. So that was really fun. I think I have this giant binder of, I think, every Doctor Strange ever, which is pretty amazing, and it’s in color. They printed it in color, so that was really exciting.”

With many of the creatives involved in the project initially keeping a tight lid on their original plans, and with the multiversal nature of the whole experience, it’s likely we won’t get any concrete details on storytelling opportunities that nearly came to light in that first approach to the concept. Waldron is reportedly writing the scripts for both Avengers: Secret Wars and Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.

Miller’s Girl is described, “A talented young writer (Jenna Ortega) embarks on a creative odyssey when her teacher (Martin Freeman) assigns a project that entangles them both in an increasingly complex web. As lines blur and their lives intertwine, professor and protégé must confront their darkest selves while straining to preserve their individual sense of purpose and the things they hold most dear.”

Miller’s Girl hits theaters on January 26th.   

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