Scott Derrickson left Doctor Strange 2 motivated by his desire to avoid the creation of a substandard film. He has clarified that there are no negative sentiments between himself and Marvel Studios.
According to Derrickson, his take on the Marvel sequel would have been an “extreme departure from the first film” and “a genuine horror film of sorts.” Sadly, he and Marvel had fundamental disagreements regarding the film’s execution.
Among the handful of directors who were tapped for a Marvel Studios picture but ultimately declined the offer, Scott Derrickson is a notable example. Following the overwhelming success of his first “Doctor Strange” film, director Scott Derrickson was requested to return for the sequel, “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.” Derrickson and Marvel Studios parted ways after a long period of development due to “creative differences.” The director went on to work in the horror genre he loves, and Marvel chose Sam Raimi to direct the second “Doctor Strange” picture. In the years since his departure, Derrickson has forgiven Marvel, Kevin Feige, and even Sam Raimi.
Scott Derrickson discussed his involvement in the new “V/H/S/85” anthology and his split with Marvel Studios in a preview of a forthcoming edition of The Playlist’s The Discourse podcast (full interview coming soon). And there was no significant drama happening off-screen, unlike what some fans may have thought. It was only a matter of opinion as to where to take “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.”
One must admire a filmmaker who, while having genuine differences of vision, is ready to walk away from a huge project (a position that many people would happily sacrifice their artistic integrity for). Marvel and Derrickson were both able to make full recoveries. With Sam Raimi at the helm, “Multiverse of Madness” raked in the cash, and Derrickson eventually scored a success with the horror film “The Black Phone.”
“All I can say is that what we said publicly is exactly the truth,” Derrickson added. We were just so different creatively. We were clearly pulled in opposite directions since my vision for the film and my approach to making it were different. That’s the formula for a terrible film if you ask me. If the studio or producer isn’t on the same page as the director, the resulting picture is a disaster, which is why I had to leave that situation.
Derrickson attended the premiere of “Doctor Strange 2” and said he is still on good terms with Marvel despite his choice.
“Yeah, I attended the opening night. It’s everything well between me and Marvel, and I’m still friends with Kevin [Feige]. They asked me to come to the premiere, so I did. Not only that, but Sam Raimi and I are good friends. There are no hard feelings between Sam and me since I adore him.
In his most recent work, Derrickson contributes to the upcoming “V/H/S/85,” which will premiere on Shudder on October 6. Later this week, we’ll have the whole episode of The Discourse for you to watch.
