Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has halted production due to the pandemic. Filming is taking place in the U.K., which just announced a new set of lockdowns. Prime Minister Boris Johnson reinforced a strict lockdown earlier this week as a more transmissible variant of COVID-19 spreads and fills hospitals. "It is clear that we need to do more to bring this new variant under control," Johnson said. "That means the government is once again instructing you to stay at home."

In a new interview, WandaVision and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness star Elizabeth Olsen revealed that production had been suspended on the sequel. "Since the hospitals are overwhelmed here, we can't go back to work until that calms down," Olsen said. "So just safely hanging out here, and really grateful I get to be working. Disney has kept me busy during quarantine." Olsen ran into production delays while filming the upcoming Disney+ series back at the beginning of 2020, though they were able to finish reshoots over the summer.

It's unclear how long the Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness production will be shut down. Oliver Dowden, the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport in the U.K. says, "You should work from home unless you can't - exemptions include for training and rehearsal of performances, recording studios, and film and TV production." Apparently, the U.K. government is allowing movie productions to continue, despite the lockdown, which means that Marvel Studios and Disney probably pulled the plug over safety concerns. Matt Reeves' The Batman will reportedly continue to film in the U.K. after shutting down at the beginning of 2020.

It is also unclear if the production suspension will end up having an effect on the release date for Doctor Strange 2. It will really depend on how long the new round of lockdowns lasts, along with how the new variant of COVID-19 sticks around. A vaccine has been developed and has been slowly starting to get out to the public over the past month, which has people in the entertainment industry looking forward to some form of normalcy in 2021.

WandaVision is preparing to launch January 15th, exclusively on Disney+. The mysterious series will consist of nine episodes, which are paying tribute to classic sitcoms. Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige has revealed that the first Marvel Cinematic Universe Disney+ series will be directly tied to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, though he did not reveal how. It is believed that Doctor Stephen Strange actor Benedict Cumberbatch will have a cameo in WandaVision. However, that has yet to be confirmed officially at this time. Thankfully, MCU fans don't have to wait too much longer to see what WandaVision will contribute to Phase 4 and beyond. You can see the interview with Elizabeth Olsen above, thanks to the Jimmy Kimmel Live YouTube channel.