With a global box-office of around $1.9 billion, Marvel and Sony’s “Spider-Man: No Way Home” has been so successful it’s unlikely any film this year could come close to that level of success.
Those involved in Sam Raimi’s “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” however are going to give it a damn good try though. Speaking with Empire recently, actor Benedict Cumberbatch says the film ain’t going small:
“It’s a big, big movie. It’s going to be an absolute riot. And if it brings off the level of ambition it’s got, we’re going to have a success on the level of Spidey. There you go, I’ll put my flag in the sand.”
That might explain why Cumberbatch revealed last weekend at the BAFTAs (via Twitter) that additional filming on the movie has recently taken place – past the originally scheduled and already rather extensive mid-November 2021 to mid-January 2022 scheduled timeframe.
Marvel’s Kevin Feige meanwhile tells the British publication that though it is a Marvel film, it’s also very much a Sam Raimi film and he encouraged the helmer to retain his signature touches with it:
“We want it to be a Sam Raimi movie. We would give notes like, ‘This action is cool – you’re competing with Avengers and Spider-Man, no problem – but don’t forget the Sam Raimi parts.’ You will see just how Sam Raimi it is, in ways that will make fans of Evil Dead II very happy.”
The outlet also confirms at least three ‘variants’ of Strange himself will appear from across the multiverse including “a corrupted, corroded version called Sinister Strange; a seemingly heroic variant based on the character’s run in the comic-book supergroup, The Defenders; and a zombified Strange.”
“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” comes to theaters on May 6th 2022.