3 Minutes
Why Sam Raimi is rethinking his Marvel choices
Sam Raimi has become synonymous with comic-book cinema — from the height of his Spider-Man trilogy to the hallucinatory spectacle of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. In a recent Total Film interview, Raimi opened up about a creative regret from his time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the steps he took to make it right.
Raimi singled out his experience directing Doctor Strange (2022) and reflected on a missed opportunity with Rachel McAdams. Having worked with McAdams before, he called her an "ideal choice" in every respect and admitted he hadn’t fully exploited the range of her talent in their earlier collaboration. Determined to correct that, he deliberately brought her back to the MCU as a variant of Christine Palmer — a decision he describes as both personal and artistic.
From supporting role to surprising turn
McAdams’ return is framed as more than a cameo. Raimi noted that audiences will be surprised by the darker edge she brings; producer Zeynab Azizi suggested the role taps into a shadowy, villainous side the actress hasn’t been known for before. That contrast — McAdams’ established dramatic warmth versus a more unsettling antagonist — is exactly the kind of casting pivot that can redefine a character in the multiverse era.
Comparisons are inevitable. Raimi’s Spider-Man films helped set the standard for emotionally grounded superhero storytelling; Doctor Strange pushed his style into horror-tinged visuals and shock beats. The result sits somewhere between the operatic heart of his early superhero work and the modern MCU’s appetite for reality-bending spectacle.
Industry context: multiverse momentum and Marvel’s roadmap
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness grossed roughly $955 million worldwide, underlining both Raimi’s box-office pull and the audience appetite for multiverse stories. Yet Marvel Studios has not officially greenlit a Doctor Strange 3, and with Phase 6 packed with projects, any sequel may wait until after The Multiverse Saga concludes. This scheduling reality reflects Marvel’s current strategy: prioritize an overarching saga while allowing individual directors room to experiment within the franchise.
Trivia and fan reaction
Fans noticed McAdams’ presence early on and speculated online about how far MCU variants might stray from their originals. Meanwhile, McAdams is currently starring opposite Dylan O’Brien in the theatrical release Send Help — a reminder she’s balancing studio blockbusters with independent-leaning fare.
Raimi’s candid admission of regret — and his follow-through — underscores a director’s evolving relationship with franchise filmmaking: sometimes repairing a missed beat is the most creative move of all.
In short: Raimi’s confession is part director’s humility, part strategic casting, and wholly consistent with the unpredictable narrative world Marvel now inhabits.
Leave a Comment