Why Sam Raimi’s Signature Shtick Is Perfect for ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’

Scott Derrickson — the director behind the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s (MCU) first Doctor Strange installment, as well as famed horror movies Sinister, The Exorcism of Emily Rose, Deliver Us From Evil, and more — seemed like the perfect pick for the second Strange outing. 

The Multiverse of Madness is intended to align with the director’s horror tendencies (while still fitting within the PG-13 realm). Yet, the director has stepped down from the role, leaving the MCU to hunt for a new director to fill his shoes and, that new visionary, may be Sam Raimi. Variety recently reported that Sam Raimi is in talks to take on the responsibility. 

Sam Raimi is well known for the Tobey Maguire-led take on Spider-Man, as well as The Evil Dead, Army of Darkness, and more. Both Derrickson and Raimi have a flair for the frightening and a knack for the nefarious, yet one of Sam Raimi’s signature thematic tendencies makes him a perfect fit for Doctor Strange. 

Sam Raimi and Pandora’s Box: knowledge carries consequences 

As IndieWire notes, Sam Raimi is known for two major trademarks — one that’s a bit more obvious than the other. He is known for incorporating a 1973 Oldsmobile Delta 88 into his films, as his way of singing his name on the production. However, on a thematic, subtextual level, the director is known for exploring the power of knowledge, and the inability to evade the consequences that come with understanding. 

IndieWire notes that Raimi often explores the dangers of opening Pandora’s Box, and goes on to explain the phenomenon in a context we can all relate to: 

In Raimi’s movies, knowledge is like toothpaste: once it’s out of the tube, you can’t put it back in. And pretty quickly, it turns into an awful mess.

IndieWire 

Whether discovering a creepy book and choosing to open the forbidden pages or falling victim to an uncontrollable circumstance (being bit by a spider) that leaves you with a new worldview and influence over society, once you acquire the information, you cannot go back to your previous life.

Why Sam Raimi is perfect for ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’

Who better for Raimi to take on than a man who can see all infinite alternate realities — than a man who will be forced to travel the multiverse to save humankind from whatever dangers scarlet Witch brings about in WandaVision? 

Doctor Strange is cursed with knowledge — he sees too much and knows too much. And, once he sees, he must do all in his power to keep the world and its infinite timelines in balance — ensuring that all goes to universal plan. 

Strange is often forced to explore the possibilities, and who better to present the challenges to come from this than a man well-versed in commenting on the dangers of knowledge, the connection between knowledge and power, and the consequences that come with taking a step too far?