3 Reasons Sam Raimi Returning for ‘Doctor Strange 3’ Is Bad for the Franchise

Published 10/05/2024, 12:53 AM EDT

Sam Raimi is about to reunite with Marvel Studios, or so the rumor goes. He is close to finalizing a deal to direct a sequel to the last film he took on in the MCU, according to the ever-reliable insider Jeff Sneider of The InSneider. While Marvel Studios has not officially announced a third Doctor Strange movie yet, it would not be a huge shocker to see Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness getting its much-anticipated sequel. But is bringing Sam Raimi back for another spin in the Doctor Strange universe really a smart move for the franchise?

Here are all the reasons why it might not be.

Sam Raimi's treatment of fan-favorite characters

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One of the major gripes fans had with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was how Sam Raimi handled certain beloved characters, particularly Wanda. The film portrayed her as a sadistic murderer who kills indiscriminately, showing little to no remorse. While some defend her descent into darkness, claiming that it makes total sense considering all the trauma she has endured in the past shows and films, they forget that every hero in comics has their fair share of traumatic baggage as well.

That is what makes them heroes. But if Peter Parker suddenly decided to don a black suit and start wreaking havoc in an MCU flick, the internet would collectively lose its mind and scream 'character assassination'. In that sense, Marvel’s choice to take Wanda down this path was one of the worst decisions they could make. The same can be said for America Chavez, who barely had a presence in the film.

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Chavez, unfortunately, was nothing more than a power source for Wanda- something for the hero and villain to duke it out over. 

Sam Raimi classic horror elements did not land right with the OG MCU

Sam Raimi has quite the resume when it comes to the strange and the weird. He is the mastermind behind the Evil Dead series, along with some lesser-known oddities like Darkman. This guy has a knack for making audiences feel not just fear but also that delightful, unsettling fascination with the bizarre. And with the Multiverse of Madness, the horror expert got to sprinkle his scary movie sensibilities everywhere, making it the first real MCU horror film. But while fans of gems like Drag Me to Hell loved it, the usual MCU fans did not.

The reason being that Raimi’s brand of horror felt like it was from a different universe altogether. Thouugh there were moments that would make anyone's hair raise- bringing in as much grotesque horror as a PG-13 rating can allow- none of it really tied into the film’s overall story.

Lack of fan service

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One of the biggest draws of any MCU project is the promise of cameos- Deadpool & Wolverine pulled in a billion with that lure this year. Sam Raimi, however, really let fans down with the lack of superhero cameos and nods in the second Doctor Strange movie. People were expecting a parade of characters like Iron Man, Ghost Rider, Deadpool, Magneto, and Doctor Doom. But none of them showed up.

Even the cameos that did appear were barely given any profound purpose. Unlike Spider-Man: No Way Home, where Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield got their moments and a purpose, here it felt like Raimi could not be bothered, leaving viewers with that sinking feeling that all the excitement and anticipation was for nothing.

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What do you think about Sam Raimi reportedly returning to direct Doctor Strange 3? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

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Hriddhi Maitra

1733 articles

Hriddhi Maitra is a Hollywood News reporter at Netflix Junkie. An enthusiastic movie buff, Hriddhi found her true calling when she worked as a Cinema Content Writer at My Cinema Story while analyzing movies objectively, and offering constructive feedback. Coming from a background where she worked in different niches like finance, food, travel, medicines, automobile, and entertainment, we can safely say she is a jack of all trades.

Edited By: Itti Mahajan

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