Sometimes a director will get to work on a film for a studio and want to go on a specific direction for that film that the studio just doesn't agree with. Some pump the brakes merely because they are scared of experimenting with something that is a 'proven success'. Those film directors normally head for the exit because they don't feel they have the total creative freedom to make the film that they want to make and are really passionate about. Often times, the reason the studio and filmmaker split is summed up in the phrase 'creative differences'.
Last night, the news broke that filmmaker Scott Derrickson has left his directing duties on "Doctor Strange: In The Multiverse of Madness" citing 'creative differences' with Marvel Studios. Variety first posted the news, though he later confirmed this on his twitter account. Derrickson co-wrote and directed the first 'Doctor Strange' film for Marvel in 2016, introducing audiences to the mystical side of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Fans immediately took to social media to express their concerns, as the sequel begins shooting this May.
As we all know, this is not the first time Disney and Marvel have parted ways with a filmmaker on a project. In December 2011, Patty Jenkins stepped down from directing "Thor: The Dark World", replaced by Alan Taylor. Edgar Wright was famously attached to direct "Ant-Man" since 2006, working on several different drafts of the screenplay with Joe Cornish. He left in 2014 a mere two months before filming began, replaced by director Peyton Reed. Thor: The Dark World was released in 2014 and is generally considered one of the lesser films of the Marvel canon (it is certainly one of my least favorites), while Ant-Man was a nice surprise to most and felt like a nice throwback to Marvel's '60s roots.
I don't think anyone should be worried about this. Marvel producer Kevin Feige is very well known for mapping out the timeline of the films, what should happen where, who should appear in what, etc. We've known for quite some time that Elizabeth Olson (Scarlet Witch) will play a big role in 'Doctor Strange 2', still slated to begin filming in May as of this writing. Feige has made it clear that the films released in theaters and the shows appearing on Disney+ will intersect, and the series "WandaVision" will lead into this film. Scott Derrickson had his heart set on making DS2 a straight up horror film and it is clear Disney and Marvel aren't quite ready for that. Feige has stated that it isn't 'really' a horror film, which I assume means they're aiming to tame it up a tad. There is a plan for a post-Endgame MCU in Phase Four, and Derrickson's original script most likely just didn't fit with the direction Marvel and Feige wanted to take Strange. This news is maybe worrying for some, but I haven't had any true reason yet to doubt that Marvel will find the right person for the job.
DOCTOR STRANGE: IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS releases May 7th, 2021.
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