Scott Derrickson directed 2016’s Doctor Strange, bringing Benedict Cumberbatch into the MCU as the Master of the Mystic Arts. The news of Marvel eying Scott Derrickson, who is best known for making horror films like Sinister and The Exorcism of Emily Rose, to direct Doctor Strange came as a surprise to many at the time. But after numerous pitch meetings, Derrickson had convinced the studio that he was the best person to make the film and ultimately landed the directing gig. Derrickson also co-wrote Doctor Strange, and his distinctive vision was one of the reasons behind the film’s success.
Unsurprisingly, Scott Derrickson soon signed on for the sequel Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Kevin Feige described the film as being "legitimately scary" but not exactly a true horror movie. Creative differences arose between Marvel and Derrickson, resulting in the Sinister director departing the project. However, he remains on good terms with the studio and will be an executive producer on Doctor Strange 2. Spider-Man and Evil Dead filmmaker Sam Raimi eventually came on board to helm Doctor Strange 2, with Loki writer Michael Waldron penning a new screenplay.
Marvel recently debuted the first full-length trailer for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and it's trending worldwide. Featuring tons of surprises, the trailer is an absolute blast and even confirms the return of Sir Patrick Stewart as Professor X. Like everybody else, Scott Derrickson is also excited about Doctor Strange 2 and shared his opinions on Twitter when asked what he thought about the new trailer. "The trailer is great and of course I’m excited! I love Sam — he was the right director for this one, just as The Black Phone was the right film for me to go make. All is good," Derrickson tweeted.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is arguably the most anticipated movie of 2022, with rumors of Tom Cruise’s Iron Man, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, and even Ghost Rider’s involvement swirling all over the Internet. Doctor Strange 2 stars Benedict Cumberbatch as the titular superhero, with Benedict Wong, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Rachel McAdams reprising their roles from the first film. Elizabeth Olsen and Tom Hiddleston also star in the film, along with Xochitl Gomez as America Chavez.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness storms into theaters on May 6, 2022.
Scott Derrickson Left Doctor Strange 2 For Horror Film The Black Phone
Derrickson has always been supportive of Marvel’s decision to bring Raimi over to make Doctor Strange 2 and doesn’t regret his exit from the film either. After all, Sam Raimi directed one of the best comic book films of all time - Spider-Man 2. As for what was the issue those creative differences were over, which made Derrickson leave Doctor Strange 2, it’s still unclear. But as per reports, Derrickson wanted to make a full-fledged horror movie, and Marvel wasn’t ready for that. The two parties couldn’t find any middle ground, leaving Derrickson no choice but to move on.
He immediately found his next project in the form of the horror movie, The Black Phone. Ethan Hawke stars in the much-anticipated film as a sadistic, masked serial killer who kidnaps a 13-year-old boy. But it turns out the boy can communicate with the past victims of the killer, who are determined at helping him escape. The Black Phone is based on the short story of the same name by Joe Hill and is adapted for the screen by Derrickson and his frequent collaborator, C. Robert Cargill. The Black Phone premiered to rave reviews at Fantastic Fest last September and is currently sitting at a perfect 100% Rotten Tomatoes rating.
The Black Phone is slated for a theatrical release on June 24, 2022.