Doctor Strange is not a new character for an average Marvel fan, but it was for a lot of fans who were unfamiliar with Marvel comics when the character was first brought to the screen in 2016. Co-written and directed by Scott Derrickson, Doctor Strange was a glorious success and was widely liked by fans and critics alike.
Yet while its sequel was an even bigger financial success, there were a lot of mixed reactions from fans who called it too dark for an MCU entry. Directed by Sam Raimi, the movie was different than the first one. And recently Derrickson revealed how his version of the sequel was different than Raimi’s, making fans demand to get it made.
Scott Derrickson on His Version of Doctor Strange Sequel
Scott Derrickson‘s Doctor Strange achieved an 89% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and grossed $677 million worldwide against a budget of $165 million (via Box Office Mojo). Meanwhile, its sequel, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, has an 85% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and grossed $952 million across the world (via The Numbers), against a budget of $294.5 million (via Forbes).
Looking at the above, one would say that the Sam Raimi-helmed sequel was a much better movie. Yet the Google audience review tells another picture, where the Multiverse of Madness has just 3.6 ratings while Doctor Strange has 4.4 ratings. This was because not everyone liked the dark take on the mythos.
Several fans even criticized it over its apparently underdeveloped characters and the way Dr. Strange was depicted. Recently while conversing with his fans on social media, Derrickson stated his sequel to the $677 million movie was entirely different than Raimi’s.
Entirely
— N O S ⋊ Ɔ I ᴚ ᴚ Ǝ ᗡ ⊥ ⊥ O Ɔ S (@scottderrickson) April 18, 2024
Originally slated to direct and write the sequel, the filmmaker had departed midway apparently because of various creative differences with Marvel Studios (see CinemaBlend). And as Derrickson’s tweet went viral, fans demand they want The Black Phone director’s version.
Marvel Fans Want Scott Derrickson’s Doctor Strange 2
Marvel fans, particularly the fans of Dr. Strange, loved Scott Derrickson’s take on the character, Many called his movie comic-accurate and expressed how engaging the movie was compared to other comic book adaptations. And so when the director suddenly departed from its sequel, many were upset.
Although Sam Raimi’s version of the sequel is well-revered and critically acclaimed, not every fan has been satisfied with his take on the mythos. When Derrickson’s tweet about how his version of Doctor Strange 2 went viral, this is how fans reacted:
Scott would've perfected it. But no Feige wanted to wokify it
— Tedoyle99 (@Tedoyle99Tommy) April 19, 2024
they should let him make it and we can all pretend MoM didnt happen
— iván🐾 (@cIawdwolf) April 19, 2024
We were on the verge of greatness but Marvel gave us one of the worst cbms ever instead.
— Lou Bloom (@Lou_Bloom36) April 19, 2024
Probably would’ve been a watchable movie. Truly a shame
— Justin Blum (@Justin___Blum) April 19, 2024
I would have preferred to watch that movie instead of what we got 🙄🤷🏻♂️
— Jose Campos (@Jocamposp998) April 19, 2024
Kevin feige should be in jail bruh wtf
— Curly (@knickstapekevin) April 20, 2024
While fans mourn the loss of Derrickson’s movie, they have also been hoping that they might someday get to see at least the script of the long-abandoned project. In a world where this is a common occurrence, fans can only speculate and imagine what could have been and mourn what they lost.
Doctor Strange 1 & 2 can be streamed on Disney+.
