Doctor Strange: In the Multiverse of Madness Original Writer Explains Why Scott Derrickson Left the Movie

The original Doctor Strange successfully brought the Sorceror Surpeme into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and fans were eager to see what director Scott Derrickson and writer C. Robert Cargill could do with the sequel. Unfortunately, that did not end up coming to pass, as Derrickson announced he was leaving the project due to creative differences, though we’ve never received anything beyond that in regards to the reason he left the sequel. In a new interview with CinemaBlend, Cargill opened up a bit about why they both decided to leave the project, and it came down to choosing between a film they were enthusiastic about and one that was becoming something else.

That other project was an adaptation of The Black Phone by Joe Hill, and it was a project that Cargill was willing to wait on Derrickson’s work on the Doctor Strange sequel to take on.

“It was creative differences. [Scott Derrickson] wanted to do one movie, and Marvel wanted to do another movie,” Cargill said. “So he sat there and said, ‘Well s***, I’ve got this great script that I wrote with Cargill, and I’m really proud of.’ We were actually going to go out to other directors for The Black Phone, and Scott was like, he called me up and said, ‘Dude, I have to make this movie. It’s gotta be my movie, I have to do this. Do you mind waiting until after I’m done with [Doctor Strange 2], and he really wanted to bring me onto Strange as well. But in the event that it didn’t happen, he was like, ‘Do you mind waiting?’ And I was like, ‘You know what, if you feel this passionately about it, no. I’ll wait a couple years to make this movie.’”

After it became clear that Derrickson and Marvel wanted to make two different films, Derrickson decided to depart and make the film he’d been itching to make with Cargill. He didn’t love leaving Strange behind, but the differences made the decision easier.

“It came down to Scott, and Scott’s like, ‘Well, I can make this movie that I’m compromising what I wanted to do on, or I could make The Black Phone,’ and he goes, ‘You know, I want to make a movie with Cargill. I’m gonna go make The Black Phone.’ It was, as he said publically, it was a hard choice to leave Strange behind; but it made it easier that he had a movie that he was looking forward to,” Cargill said. “And then the experience was just so great that we’re just are so proud and happy with what we made.”

Since then Sam Raimi has taken over duties on Doctor Strange 2, and while I’m bummed we won’t get to see what Derrickson had planned, I am intrigued to see what he can do on a project he’s so clearly passionate about.

Are you disappointed we won’t get to see Derrickson’s Doctor Strange 2? Let us know in the comments or as always you can talk all things Marvel with me on Twitter @MattAguilarCB!