Michael Waldron, the writer of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, watched Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man films so he could write to the director’s strengths and tone. The MCU so far has had a mix of journeyman directors, who slot into the cinematic universe seamlessly (but blandly), and those who bring their own distinctive style to the movies they work on. It is hoped that Raimi’s Doctor Strange 2 will be the latter.
The man behind the multi-billion dollar Spider-Man trilogy is so generic and anonymous that hardly anyone knows his name (it’s Jon Watts) and the Russo Brothers, while more famous, aren’t exactly known for being exciting directors with their own distinct tone or style. On the other hand, the likes of Ryan Coogler, Taika Waititi, James Gunn, Shane Black and Joe Johnston brought their own sensibilities to their respective MCU entries.
It’s interesting that both Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson and now Sam Raimi have come the world of horror, as this is something that is being leaned into, potentially even more with the Multiverse of Madness.
Loki creator Michael Waldron is shaping the future of the MCU, in terms of keeping track of multiple timelines, universes and variants and has said that Doctor Strange 2 will inform Loki season 2. But he still wanted to keep in mind not only that he was writing for specific actors like Benedict Cumberbatch, but also a specific director – Sam Raimi.
In an interview with SFX magazine (via Doctor Strange Updates), he said; “[l] tried to identify his strengths, the stuff where he really excels, and work out how I could write toward that, the same way you would an actor.” In addition to the 2000s Spider-Man films, Raimi is obviously known for horror movies such as Evil Dead and Drag Me to Hell, so it’s exciting to think about what he might bring to the MCU.
If you’re trying to get the MCU straight before Doctor Strange 2 comes out, check out our guide to Marvel’s Phase 4.