Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness: Scott Derrickson Hints Why He Left Sequel

Even the world's biggest entertainment franchise isn't immune to change. Every so often, something comes along and upsets the status quo with Marvel Studios and the master plan Kevin Feige and his team of producers have laid out. There was a time Disney fired Guardians of the Galaxy helmer James Gunn from the beloved franchise, before rehiring him months later. Then there's the time the studio and Scott Derrickson parted ways during the development of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

In the initial statement announcing Derrickson's departure, both the filmmaker and Marvel Studios said the split was amicable — the parties simply had creative differences. Now that nearly a year has passed since the director's exodus, he's starting to open up a little more about the situation on Twitter. In one recent tweet, Derrickson said his time on The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008) convinced him to never make "someone else's movie," something he proved by walking away from a Marvel Studios movie.

I’ve made some hard creative choices this year. But I swore after making The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008) that I would never again find myself at the end of somebody else’s movie, and I’m sticking to that.

— N O S ⋊ Ɔ I ᴚ ᴚ Ǝ ᗡ ⊥ ⊥ O Ɔ S (@scottderrickson) December 22, 2020

"I've made some hard creative choices this year," the director tweeted this week. "But I swore after making The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008) that I would never again find myself at the end of somebody else's movie, and I'm sticking to that."

"Sticking to that" he is after parting from the biggest franchise theaters have ever seen. 23 movies in and nearly $25 billion at the box office later, Marvel Studios' cinematic universe currently rests unrivaled.

Derrickson and frequent collaborator C. Robert Cargill have since set their sights on smaller — when compared to an MCU tentpole, that is — horror features. The duo recently struck a deal with Blumhouse and Universal to adapt Joe Hill'sThe Black Phone.

Doctor Strange is now streaming on Disney+ while Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is set for release on March 25, 2022.

What other Marvel movies do you want to see Derrickson have a shot at directing? Let us know your thoughts either in the comments section or by hitting our writer @AdamBarnhardt up on Twitter to chat all things MCU!

Cover photo by Matthias Nareyek/Getty Images