The San Diego Comic-Con International brought along with it a complete buffet for the Marvel fans. Marvel released its future slate for its TV and Big Screen productions. Hawkeye, Falcon, and the Winter Soldier, Wanda Vision, What If will fill in the small screen entertainment, as they are slated to be released in Disney’s official streaming service – Disney+. But Marvel is not letting its lion’s share of the Box office market go that easily as well. Amongst the many movies announced are Black Widow, the Eternals, Thor 4: Love and Thunder, as well as the Doctor Strange sequel. What has caught our unflinching attention is the fact that the last movie we mentioned, the Doctor Strange 2 titled Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, has been officially confirmed to be Marvel’s first foray into the horror genre.
The Phase 4 panel revealed at the San Diego Comic-Con 2019 showed us the next in line sequel for the solo movie starring none other than Benedict Cumberbatch as the Sorcerer Supreme. The news that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will be Marvel’s first-ever horror movie production was given to us by none other than Scott Derrickson, the Director of the movie. So there is something about the news that allows it to self-substantiate itself. The very source could be considered reliable.
Doctor Strange first appeared in the MCU in the Doctor Strange movie in the year of 2016. Cumberbatch played the character of Stephen Strange, who visits Kamar-Taj and becomes the Sorcerer Supreme of Earth and fights an extra-dimensional entity called Dormammu for protecting the realm of Earth from total annihilation. Scott Derrickson, the Director of the sequel to Doctor Strange also directed the first Doctor Strange movie.
Benedict Cumberbatch is returning to play the eponymous role in the sequel. The Director and the Actor have given both subtle and non-subtle hints regarding the plotline of the new movie. And it all points to the fact that the story for the Doctor Strange sequel will take an abrupt turn for the horror-psychological thriller genre. Things are about to get real dark pretty soon.
The unveiling came at Hall H of the SDCC 2019! Derrickson was heard saying that there are:
“going to make the first scary MCU film.”
So far, we know that the movie will feature one other major superhero. Elizabeth Olsen, who plays the beautiful and dangerous Scarlet Witch in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, will also be playing a crucial role in the movie. Olsen turning up for a role in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness points to the fact that her new TV series starring her Vision – Wanda Vision, is somehow related to the Doctor Strange sequel. The TV Series is also aiming to achieve that horror element, as fans and experts are heard speculating. So maybe there is a deeper connection between the show and the movie than anybody could ever fathom as of now.
The fact that Avengers Endgame created some pretty huge number of alternate timelines during the Time Heist saga must also have something to do with this. Doctor Strange, with his command over magic, could be visiting some darker alternate realities that came as a result of the events of Endgame. Derrickson is one of the only few Marvel directors with the experience of directing blockbuster horror movies under his belt. He was the Director of Sinister, The Exorcism of Emily Rose and Hellraiser: Inferno. Derrickson’s expertise lays in making slow-burner horror thrillers with explosive endings. Maybe Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will also have a similar conclusion?
Doctor Strange appeared last in Avengers: Endgame. Avengers: Endgame released on the 26th of April, 2019. The official film synopsis of the movie has been released and it states:
“After the devastating events of Avengers: Infinity War, the universe is in ruins due to the efforts of the Mad Titan, Thanos. With the help of remaining allies, the Avengers must assemble once more in order to undo Thanos’ actions and restore order to the universe once and for all, no matter what consequences may be in store.”
