Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Doctor Strange

  • Xochitl Gomez on Bringing America Chavez to Life in ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’

    Xochitl Gomez on Bringing America Chavez to Life in ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’

    While Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is set to focus on Doctor Strange and Wanda, following the events of both Spider-Man: No Way Home and WandaVision, it is also set to introduce a new character. America Chavez of the Young Avengers will make her Marvel Cinematic Universe debut when Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness debuts later this week. The character will be played by Xochitl Gomez, who is perhaps best known for her work on Netflix’s The Baby-Sitter’s Club, and will mark the first live-action take on the fan-favorite character. So, it’s not entirely surprising then that many are curious about what she brings to the long-awaited Doctor Strange sequel.

    During the press conference for the film today, Gomez was asked what America will bring to Multiverse of Madness. “I mean, um, one thing that was so important to me was that – this is a very adult movie, there’s lots of adults in it, it’s very heavy, and so, I wanted to make sure America still had that youthfulness, and still had that, you know, fake it till you make it you know just resilience,” she explained.

    Gomez also noted the character’s age on film and how it differed from the comics, noting how it allowed Michael Waldron to write a new introduction for America. “You know, when you’ve got some crazy stuff happening it’s a little hard, but I think one thing that really helps is that she is fourteen – which is younger than she was in any of the comics – so I mean that really helps, you know, in writing a new introduction, which I think Michael Waldron did beautifully.”

    Fans can see Gomez as America when Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness hits theaters later this week.

  • Sam Raimi Teases How His Earlier Horror Films Influenced ‘Doctor Strange 2’

    Sam Raimi Teases How His Earlier Horror Films Influenced ‘Doctor Strange 2’

    While we’re excited to head into the multiverse, there’s a lot of potential with Marvel Studios’ first true venture into horror. The genre is a long-time favorite for many moviegoers and the film has promised that it’ll give us the kind of scares we’ve always hoped to see in a Marvel film. When Sam Raimi took over from Scott Derrickson, we knew that the film is still in good hands to keep that genre alive.

    The director may be quite famous for setting the benchmark for modern superhero films with 2002’s Spider-Man, he made a name in the industry with his work on the Evil Dead series. He even followed up his caped adventures with Drag Me to Hell, as a way to venture to During the press conference, Sam Raimi talked about how those films influenced his venture into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

    When Kevin announced that this movie would be the first entry into Marvel putting their toe into the world of horror, I was thrilled that he called me to come in and talk about the possibility of directing this picture. I was able to take those horror films I made in my youth, and what I had learned from them, building suspense sequences, tituling the audience, going to give them a scare now? No, NOW I am going to give it to them. That stuff I was able to apply in the spooky sequences in this film.

    Sam Raim

    It certainly sounds promising, especially with the iconic camera shots that made him stand out as a director. The first clips and even the trailers included some references to his talent with the camera, which will make the film potentially stand out among Marvel’s already impressive filmography. As he’s openly stated he is excited to potentially direct another project, here’s hoping he can further expand the horror projects for Marvel Studios.

  • ‘Doctor Strange 2’ Still Currently Eyeing a $200M Opening Weekend at the Domestic Box Office

    ‘Doctor Strange 2’ Still Currently Eyeing a $200M Opening Weekend at the Domestic Box Office

    During CinemaCon, Disney unveiled that their upcoming Marvel release has already made $42M in presales, and has already outpaced The Batman at this point. The more sales data makes its way to vendors, the easier it becomes to get a better grasp of where exactly the film’s box office performance might lead. The Batman opened with $134M and it looks like the current predictions still has it making up to $200M at the domestic box office. That would mean it has the potential to end its run at $535M, which Box Office Pro teased back in early April.

    Fandango’s Erik Davis took to his Twitter account to share that film is currently tracking between $150M to a $200M opening weekend at the domestic box office. Box Office Pro has adjusted its forecast, which would see it between $190M and $215M within 3-days. So, it has seen a slight uptick since the initial prediction. Of course, there’s always a chance that the film could even outperform those numbers once word-of-mouth makes its rounds. As Davis points out, this could become one of the biggest Box office increases between film entries for the MCU if it beats expectations.

    Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has been topping Fandango’s Most Anticipated List alongside Marvel Studios’ July release, Thor: Love and Thunder. The teased return of Patrick Stewart may also draw in a crowd alongside the many believed cameos that people are hoping to see, especially as the film ventures out into the Marvel multiverse. The latest promo has been a bit spoiler-heavy but it seems that it’s a marketing ploy to get that last nudge for those that haven’t seen it and are in disbelief over reports they are hearing. We will finally know how well it truly performed by Sunday of next week.

    Source: Twitter, Box Office Pro

  • Sam Raimi Had “Complete Creative Freedom” Over ‘Doctor Strange 2’

    Sam Raimi Had “Complete Creative Freedom” Over ‘Doctor Strange 2’

    There have been many discussions surrounding the creative freedom that directors have with modern blockbusters. As franchises become larger and more complex, consisting of multi-media franchises, there’s a challenge to keep an overview while fully letting external creatives take control over these projects. Marvel Studios has repeatedly been spotlighted given how the MCU continues to expand, its complexities may hinder talent. Yet, while there are some cases, most directors have seemingly praised the work with the production company. Sam Raimi, who joined the franchise to work on Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, has revealed in an interview with The Playlist that he had “complete creative freedom” while working on the film.

    Well, let me say — and this may sound like I’m talking out of both sides of my mouth — that Marvel allowed me complete creative freedom. However, it had to follow so many things in Marvel lore, [so] even though I had complete freedom, the previous movies and where Marvel wants to go in the future really directed the path in an incredibly specific way. Within those parameters I have freedom, but I’ve got to tell the story of those characters in a way that ties in with all of the properties simultaneously. We had to make sure, for instance, that Doctor Strange didn’t know more than he had learned about the multiverse from No Way Home. And yet we had to make sure he wasn’t ignorant of things that he had already learned. So everything was dictated by what had become before.

    Sam Raimi

    He does highlight that there were some elements he couldn’t fully control, but those are purely adhering to story consistency. So, the same rules apply to taking over any project that already has a few films on its belt. He is taking over the Doctor Strange sequel. So, even if there wasn’t an expanded universe to adhere to, the rule would still apply given what we saw in the first. It’s great to know that the director had that much creative freedom and highlights how much the team believed in his work going into the sequel.

    Source: Rolling Stone

  • REPORT: ‘Doctor Strange 2’ Soundtrack Includes Spoiler-Filled Track Names

    REPORT: ‘Doctor Strange 2’ Soundtrack Includes Spoiler-Filled Track Names

    If you want to avoid spoilers of any kind for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, then only continue reading at your own risk.

    Nowadays, it seems like an upcoming film release has become a treacherous search for a way to avoid spoilers. Marvel Studios has even been releasing promo videos that give away quite a bit that caught many off-guard. Now, we also have to avoid sou tracks for films, as they include teases for story beats and hints at major events throughout the film’s run. Film Music Reporter has now released the full soundtrack for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and it contains some curious details on what we can expect from the film. Though, keep in mind that the track order has not been confirmed yet.

    1. Multiverse of Madness (2:37)
    2. On the Run (2:17)
    3. Strange Awakens (0:43)
    4. The Apple Orchard (3:18)
    5. Are You Happy (1:08)
    6. Gargantos (2:50)
    7. Journey with Wong (1:44)
    8. Home? (4:08)
    9. Strange Statue (1:43)
    10. The Decision Is Made (1:14)
    11. A Cup of Tea (3:58)
    12. Discovering America (0:47)
    13. Grab My Hand (1:14)
    14. Battle Time (3:11)
    15. Not a Monster (2:38)
    16. Forbidden Ground (2:29)
    17. Tribunal (2:13)
    18. They’re Not Coming Back (1:00)
    19. Stranger Things Will Happen (2:56)
    20. Buying Time (3:39)
    21. Book of Vishanti (2:45)
    22. Looking for Strange (1:38)
    23. Strange Talk (3:32)
    24. Lethal Symphonies (1:48)
    25. Getting Through (5:34)
    26. Only Way (2:51)
    27. Trust Your Power (2:54)
    28. They’ll Be Loved (3:59)
    29. Farewell (2:29)
    30. An Interesting Question (3:13)
    31. Main Titles (2:36)
    32. An Unexpected Visitor (0:32)

    Danny Elfman is working on the soundtrack, which is going to be quite promising given his history with the genre. He’s already helped work on MCU projects in the past and so he’ll be right back at home with this project. The biggest question though lies in the title “An Unexpected Visitor.” If that is indeed the final song on the track, it seems like we’ll meet someone from the multiverse that may set the path moving forward. Perhaps that unexpected visitor is the same that visited Dane Whitman in Eternals.

    Source: Film Music Reporter

  • Sam Raimi Opens Up on the Challenges of Working on ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’

    Sam Raimi Opens Up on the Challenges of Working on ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’

    Modern blockbuster development has become quite a challenge, as it now includes way more moving parts as budgets grow. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness adds to that very challenge with a multiversal storyline and Sam Raimi jumping in after Scott Derrickson left the project over creative differences while remaining as a producer. In an interview with Rolling Stone, he highlights the challenges and unique situation he found himself in when he started working on the project.

    When we started, we had a deadline to start shooting with a script that I didn’t really have anything to do with. And [screenwriter] Michael Waldron, [producer] Richie Palmer, the team at Marvel, and myself pretty much had to jump in and start over. I was very rushed and panicked — a lot of trepidation. But we kept working through it. And for us, the Covid delays were a blessing because it bought us more time to work on the script. We eventually got to the point where we had started shooting, even though we were still working on the script, and it went really well. Now I feel much more relieved. That part of the process is behind us.

    Sam Raimi

    Raimi goes on to highlight that there was one element that he would consider the “hardest part” of working on Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. It’s something that has become quite common for modern blockbusters and that is the ongoing writing process.

    I think the hardest part was the time deadlines, not having the story or the script [ready] … being halfway into it and not knowing what the ending was. Michael’s trying to stay a couple days ahead of us with the next page coming out of his computer printer, and it’s hard because you want to make sure that everything is supporting the whole — that the themes are running through the picture. But when you don’t quite know everything about the picture, it’s hard to do that job as effectively as possible.

    Sam Raimi

    We’ve heard in the past that the third act is the one aspect of films that gets changed the most, especially in the case of Marvel films due to all the moving parts involved. Of course, it adds a unique challenge, as he teased in the same interview, and Raimi has highlighted that he still had quite the creative freedom when it came to bringing this story to life. Yes, he did adhere to the stories that came before but it’s nothing new for a director to jump into a sequel of an existing franchise. It just happens to be a much larger one. He also highlighted just how challenging it was given it may be the most “complex movie” he’s ever worked on.

    It’s probably the most complex movie I’ve ever had anything to do with. Not just dealing with one character, or even five characters, but multiversal versions of those characters — and each one has a storyline.

    Sam Raimi

    With multiverse in the title, it’s no wonder that it was going to add an additional layer of challenge for anyone taking on the project. Sam Raimi is a veteran not only to film but also Marvel, which makes him a perfect choice to bring this project together. Add in his camera work to make their first horror-based storyline pop just that bit more making it even more exciting. The director also has said with all these challenges, he’s down to work on another project in the future.

    Source: Rolling Stone

  • Sam Raimi on How the Reshoots Helped ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’

    Sam Raimi on How the Reshoots Helped ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’

    There has always been a strange uncertainty online surrounding the wording of “reshoots,” especially when it comes to Marvel Studios. It’s become an essential tool for directors to revisit elements of their story that may not have worked as initially expected. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Sam Raimi opened up on their approach with exactly that for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

    In the interview, he highlights that their main focus was on making the film accessible and ensuring that everything works well together. while many might not be fans of test screenings as a concept, it does help directors receive feedback from an external source to potentially uncover elements that just aren’t hitting as initially expected. Of course, that is also helpful for storylines with complex concepts like the multiverse.

    There’s a lot of points where the audience says, “I don’t understand this. I don’t understand this concept.” Or, “I’m aware of this concept, and then you explained it again in the third act.” “Oh, you’re right. The audience knows that already.” Or: “They had to know that in order to accept this next story beat.” A lot of it is test screenings, learning what is confusing on a complex picture like this, or learning things that have overstayed their welcome. Recognizing when something is too slow, and even though it’s a proper beat to put in, the audience doesn’t need it.

    Sam Raimi

    It also carries over into the editing process, as they try to bring the film together. In a way, Raimi highlights it also gives him the opportunity to uncover elements that might work even better or are worth expanding as a result of it.

    They can figure that out on their own, so what seemed like a logical step now becomes, in the editing process, “Hmm. That’s slowing us down. Let’s skip it and let the audience make the leap themselves.” But it’s also about recognizing what they really like, and sometimes expanding those things that they’re really reacting well to. It’s recognizing what’s original about the picture, and when you’ve got the opportunity to, expanding upon that.

    Sam Raimi

    It definitely sounds like the concept helps the directors tighten their work on projects, and it’s become a common practice for films of any kind from any studio. In a way, it’s just an additional toolkit that helps creatives build upon their work and potentially even lean further into the elements that are original and stand out. It helps add a little more insight into Bruce Campbell‘s comments when he jokingly said Benedict Cumberbatch might not even know if he’s in his own film.

    Source: Rolling Stone

  • Sam Raimi on How ‘WandaVision’ and ‘No Way Home’ Impacted ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Production

    Sam Raimi on How ‘WandaVision’ and ‘No Way Home’ Impacted ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Production

    COVID has made quite a mess out of many things, and a franchise that builds upon itself being shifted around willy-nilly may have faced many more consequences than it initially expected. We’ve heard in the past that the release schedules between Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Spider-Man: No Way Home ended up forcing their hand to rewrite both projects to better fit the overarching narrative. Still, it made many wonders how that exactly impacted the production.

    In a lengthy interview with Rolling Stone, director Sam Raimi got a chance to sit down and talk bout his experience working with Marvel Studios and within the MCU playbox. He has already praised the work in the past and is even open to returning for a future project. Yet, he also highlighted how the pandemic’s influence on two interconnected releases, previously-mentioned No Way Home and the Disney+ series WandaVision, impacted the writing process.

    Yes, it was all on the fly. “Now this is happening. Now that’s happening.” It was a fun juggling game. I guess it must be like that for all of the directors and writers of these very big Marvel properties that now have a long history. It was a very chaotic, wonderful, creative — I don’t want to use the word “mess,” because that’s unfair — but it was just a cascade of ideas. We’d take the best ones and quickly weave together the fabric of this universe. It was very exciting, actually.

    Sam Raimi

    In a way, it sounds like they were able to weave their story even with the “cascade of ideas” weaving out of these projects. One has to admire the work these creatives go through to bring an entire franchise to life and the way Raimi is praising it sounds like it helped them become even more creative. It seems that WandaVision also only became a factor during the writing process, as that series was also facing changes and delays due to COVID.

    I’m not really sure what the WandaVision schedule was or how it changed. I just know that halfway, or maybe three-quarters of the way into our writing process, I’d first heard of this show they were doing and that we would have to follow it. Therefore, we had to really study what WandaVision was doing, so we could have a proper through line and character-growth dynamic. I never even saw all of WandaVision; I’ve just seen key moments of some episodes that I was told directly impact our storyline.

    Sam Raimi

    As he highlights, things changed a lot behind-the-scenes and it’s to be expected when any projects are currently in development,w which also influence each other on a character and story basis. Raimi highlighted that these changes created a potential for creativity, which highlights a core aspect of these story elements. He highlights that he was heavily involved with the writing process alongside Loki‘s Michael Waldron and it makes the exciting prospect of what story they ended up within that playfield

    Source: Rolling Stone

  • REPORT: America Chavez’s Mothers Have Been Cast in ‘Multiverse of Madness’

    REPORT: America Chavez’s Mothers Have Been Cast in ‘Multiverse of Madness’

    As Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness approaches, the secretive film has been dropping more and more information. Even with the rumored high-profile cameos on fans’ minds, one highly-anticipated character already known is Xochitl Gomez’s America Chavez. The young hero’s ability to make portals to alternate universes will surely come in handy in the multiversal sequel.

    Still, the character also marks major milestones for the Marvel Cinematic Universe as America’s Latinx and LGBTQ+ comics background will make its way into the live-action film. In the comics, her traditional origin story is that she used her dimension-hopping powers to travel from a universe known as the Utopian Parallel after her mothers gave their lives to save that universe. Multiverse of Madness has made headlines after some countries banned the film and others asked Disney to remove LGBTQ+ references from the film.

    While we knew America’s mothers would be referenced, it looks like we now know that the two have been cast. According to One Take News, actresses Ruther Livier and Chess Lopez played the role of America’s mothers in the Doctor Strange sequel. While the scope of their roles is not yet known, it seems likely that they may be relatively small. Still, the fact that the roles have been filled does indicate that we will likely see a significant part of the young hero’s past.

    Livier has appeared in 90210 and has done a lot of voice work, particularly in video games such as Sly 3, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, and Dead Rising 3. Lopez seems to be relatively new to the entertainment scene, having appeared in a few short films.

    Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness his theaters on May 6, 2022.

    Source: One Take News

  • New ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Promo Teases Comic-Inspired [SPOILER]

    New ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Promo Teases Comic-Inspired [SPOILER]

    If you want to avoid spoilers for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness then only continue reading at your own risk.

    So, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has been spoiled quite a bit by the people that are making the film. It’s unclear if they are trying to give it an additional marketing push, as they are remaining quite vague but still showing off more than one would initially expect. We already shared the first look at What If..?’s Captain Carter but that wasn’t all the trailer included. We already know Patrick Stewart will appear in the film, but the trailer offered our best look yet and it seems that he’ll have a classic X-Men animated series-inspired look.

    The trailer includes a brief tease of the iconic Professor X yellow hoverchair. It was first used back in 1991 when it made its debut in X-Men Vol. 2 #1. It would go on to become quite a popular vehicle of transportation for Professor Xavier, and became an even bigger iconic aspect of the character after being part of the 90s animated series, which is also set to return in a Disney+ continuation titled X-Men ’97.

    It’ll be interesting to see the fully envisioned version of this design, as it seemed like something that wouldn’t make the jump to the silver screen. Even in the original X-Men films, it was mostly a very detailed design wheelchair. If they do introduce the character into the mainline MCU, it’ll be interesting to see if they build upon this reveal or potentially set it up in a way that we get something comic-accurate before they take a unique direction.

    Source: Twitter