When Scott Derrickson resigned as director of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, he left some really big shoes to fill. So how did Marvel Studios decide to fill the void? They turned to one of the ancestors of 21st century superhero movies: Sam Raimi. Interestingly, the strange doctor sequel will mark Raimi’s return to directing after a nine-year hiatus.
So what can we expect from Mr. Raimi as he dusts off the director’s chair? The answer may lie in a recap of his most iconic works. By revisiting Raimi’s cinematic catalog, fans can get a glimpse of the madness that awaits Stephen Strange as the multiverse finally implodes.
Diabolical Death: A career launched
Long before Raimi brought comic book heroes to life, he was making a name for himself in the horror genre. In 1981, Raimi achieved resounding success with his film diabolical death. In this beloved cult classic, five college students are tormented by a demonic entity that eventually turns them against each other, leaving only one standing at dawn.
It’s likely that Raimi will draw on a few influences from diabolical death. First, the film highlights the “Naturom Demonto”, a variant of the Book of the Dead. It’s immediately reminiscent of the MCU’s Darkhold, first seen in Wanda Vision and most recently spotted in the Multiverse of Madness trailers. Second, diabolical death marks the first appearance of the Deadites, reminiscent of the zombies that Doctor Strange will have to face.
Evil Dead 2: Double
While the first installment became a critics’ darling, Raimi Evil Dead 2 received critical acclaim for its enhanced special effects, as well as its unique blend of comedy and horror. In the 1987 sequel, original protagonist Ash Williams faces even more demonic possessions, including his own!
Near the end of the film, the evil demon is defeated when he is sucked into a time portal, which also transports Ash to the Middle Ages. As ridiculous as this storyline may seem, it foreshadows the interdimensional exploits of another Raimi protagonist 35 years later. Question: How many portals will Doctor Strange go through in his own sequel?
Army of Darkness: A medieval fantasy
Apparently, the plot twist that crosses the time of Evil Dead 2 was not a simple gag. army of darkness, the third installment diabolical death frankness, actually centers its plot on the medieval period. Before Ash Williams can travel back in time, he must first lead an army of knights battling a massive horde of murderous Deadites.
In army of darkness, Raimi ventured deeper into the fantasy genre while staying true to his horror roots. He will be able to explore the whole range in Multiverse of Madnesswhich is full of supernatural creatures and powerful wizards.
Drag me to hell: A despised woman
Loan officers around the world were notified when Raimi drag me to hell came out in 2009. Suddenly the elderly contestants had to be entertained with an extra dose of caution lest they wield hellish curses like by Lorna Raver Sylvia Ganouche. Unfortunately for loan officer Christine Brown (played by Alison Lohman), she was unable to escape the curse and ended up suffering the fate described by the film’s title.
Ganush’s thirst for revenge may find its parallel in the vindictive motives of a certain Wanda Maximoff. If the second trailer is any indication, Wanda is about to unleash her chaotic wrath on an entity in Multiverse of Madness. Whoever it is, Wanda won’t stop until she gives them hell.
Dark Man: A man on a mission
Before Liam Neeson Hunted down by human traffickers and clashed with Sith Lords, he was a scientist who gained superhuman abilities in a disfiguring accident. Raimi’s 1990 film dark man followed Peyton Westlake’s quest for Neeson as he seeks to even the score with the mobsters responsible for his maiming.
dark man is Raimi’s first superhero film, but it’s certainly not a light-hearted, friendly neighborhood tale. In true Raimi fashion, the protagonist isn’t afraid to bring his enemies to a violent end. Given the challenges of Multiverse of Madnessit’s possible that Doctor Strange is wearing shades of Doctor Westlake, in the name of preserving the “grand calculus” of reality.
timecop: Ripples in reality
Raimi’s fascination with time travel reappeared in the 1994s timecopa film he co-produced. Jean Claude Van Damme stars as Max Walker, a federal agent at odds with a corrupt politician abusing time travel technology. In the film’s jaw-dropping climax, the 1994 version of Walker teams up with his 2004 self to finally put an end to the politician’s machinations.
Variants can simply come into play in Multiverse of Madness, as the dramatic duo of Loki and Sylvie have long been rumored to appear in the film. After their dealings with the Time Variance Authority (which strangely recalls timecop Time Enforcement Commission), Loki variants may be ready to lend a hand to Doctor Strange amidst the chaos.
Oz the Great and Mighty: Curtains of secrecy
When Raimi last sat in the director’s chair, he was at the helm of Oz the Great and Mighty. As a prequel to the all-time classic The Wizard of Oz, this 2013 film traces the origins of Oscar Diggs, who will perpetuate the illusion of the Emerald City. It turns out that the so-called wizard (played by James Franco) had been a crook from the start.
Along the same lines, there could be smoke and mirrors behind the towering Illuminati figures in Multiverse of Madness. Like the self-proclaimed Wizard of Oz, the Illuminati might hide their true identities and intentions in the shadows. To crack their code, Doctor Strange could certainly use the help of a witch.
A simple diet: Betrayal Galore
In this 1998 crime thriller, the Hank brothers (Bill Paxton) and Jacob (Billy Bob Thorton), with their friend Lou (Brent Briscoe) discover more than $4 million in a crashed plane. While life should have been easier for each of them after this chance discovery, it really wasn’t. Ironically, the film titled A simple plan ends with fatal consequences brought about by an intricate web of lies.
The treacherous schemes of A simple plan can find their echo in Multiverse of Madness. The question, of course, is who will betray whom. Can we count on Wanda as an ally? Does Baron Mordo want to help or harm his old friend Strange?
Spider Man: The dawn of an era
In 2002, Marvel hero movies had barely made an impact on mainstream audiences. There was by Bryan Singer x-men a few years ago, and basically nothing else. Everything changed when Tobey Maguire donned the Wall-crawler costume in Raimi Spider Man. Having earned his stripes after two decades in the industry, Raimi went all out to make Spidey feel special: breathtaking action scenesvibrant visuals that brought out the colors of New York, and serious humor sprinkled in all the right places.
Twenty years after his Marvel debut, Raimi enters a virtually unfathomable cinematic universe in 2002. Of course, Maguire and his co-star Willem Dafoe have already joined the MCU via Spider-Man: No Coming Home. Could the madness of the multiverse lead to another appearance of good old Tobey?
Spiderman 2: That fateful name
It didn’t take long for the world to get another dose of Webhead from Raimi. In 2004, Spiderman 2 stormed cinemas (not to mention the hearts of critics). The sequel won the Oscar for Best Visual Effects, while Raimi picked up Best Director accolades at the Saturn Awards and the Empire Awards.
Spiderman 2 has several spectacular moments, but one quick scene has staggering implications. As J. Jonah Jameson (JK Simmons) tries to come up with a catchy name for antagonist Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina), his colleague Hoffman (Ted Raimi) suggests a nickname that’s pretty good, but it turns out “it’s taken”. The proposed name? Doctor Strange.
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