Sam Raimi Explains His Method to Doctor Strange within the Multiverse of Madness

On May 3, 2002, Sam Raimi took the superhero film world by storm together with his first Spider-Man film. Now, virtually 20 years later to the day, the director is poised to take the superhero film multiverse by storm with Doctor Strange within the Multiverse of Madness. In this interview, Raimi discusses working with a number of Stranges and Scarlet Witches, how new hero America Chavez joined the film, and the distinction 20 years make in making a Marvel movie.

Sabina Graves, io9: I’ve gotten to see about 20 minutes of the movie, and I felt like a child once more seeing that opening set-piece in New York. I simply need to focus on the variations within the mechanics of taking pictures a set-piece of that scale now versus while you shot the primary Spider-Man movie?

Sam Raimi: Well, expertise has clearly improved 20 years into the longer term now, and we used to need to make the instruments to make the instruments on the primary Spider-Man to create the primary CG superhero. And now there are entire firms, pipelines set in place, simply to try this. So, the aim actually is, now, “How can we show the audience something they haven’t seen before, since they’ve seen so much? And how can we do it in a great, quality way that will impress them?” And that’s actually the place we focus now—not on doing it the primary time, however doing it the very best we will.

io9: I’m at all times impressed by actors after they take these characters into totally different movies with new tales and new collaborators, however stay true to their characters. Can you share a bit about that course of with Benedict Cumberbatch and Elizabeth Olsen? Especially in a movie the place they work together with totally different variations of themselves?

Raimi: That’s true. Benedict Cumberbatch created this character, Doctor Strange, together with his unique director, Scott Derrickson, and… he’s been not solely in that first function movie, however most likely six successive Marvel footage. So, he comes into this movie, Multiverse of Madness, actually with a deep understanding of who his character is, what his flaws are—similar with Elizabeth Olsen, she has WandaImaginative and prescient. Not solely the films, however that tv collection. So, they arrive in as specialists on the characters, so it’s actually fascinating to see them meet up on this film. It’s form of like a child, while you purchase a Marvel team-up comedian e-book and see Thor meets Captain America for the primary time. It’s so cool. They’re absolutely shaped and clashing and so they’re working collectively. It’s actually fascinating to look at!

And the truth that they know their characters so effectively could be very useful on this film, as a result of, it is a journey into the Multiverse, and the Multiverse is known as a mirror—a funhouse mirror, you may say—of 1’s self. [It’s a] journey to alternate universes the place you meet altered variations of Doctor Strange and Wanda. So, the truth that they knew their characters so effectively allowed them to simply tweak this or that side of their character and create a wholly totally different character.

io9: I didn’t have America Chavez rising up, so to see her within the trailers was so impactful to me and I’m very excited to see your tackle her origin. I simply wished to know what it was about this character that made you need to deliver her into the fold of his enormous team-up? She has a smaller, shorter historical past in comparison with the Scarlet Witch and Doctor Strange.

Raimi: That’s proper. America Chavez is a brand new character launched on this movie—it was actually Marvel that wished to introduce the character. They have been going to introduce her within the final Spider-Man film, however I feel that storyline bought pushed ahead to our movie—all the films work collectively for Marvel, as you understand, they share frequent objectives and intersections and storylines. But as soon as I used to be advised that was our job, I used to be thrilled as a result of it’s nice to introduce a younger, Latina heroine for the viewers and allow them to have a hero of each tradition. I feel it’s very nice to see how inclusive Marvel is.

But as soon as she got here aboard, it was my job, actually, to ask, “Why is she an important character to put in a Doctor Strange movie?” And I feel the reply is as a result of he’s a really egotistical character. He builds up a wall round his insecurities with that. And America Chavez is any individual that doesn’t take any guff, she cuts proper to the chase and doesn’t respect him as a result of he’s Doctor Strange, he has to earn that along with her. So he bristles at that. She embodies the spirit of youth and reality. It’s upsetting for Doctor Strange—they’ve a constructive impact on one another, finally, over the course of the film.

io9: Was Xochitl Gomez already forged as America or have been you a part of that course of?

Raimi: I used to be a part of that course of. We had display screen checks and she or he simply blew us all away.

io9: One of the issues I’m excited to see on this movie is your signature touches, as a result of simply seeing you again on display screen is a very, actually huge deal. How early within the technique of a movie like this do you discover methods to mix your artwork with what’s on the web page and nonetheless hold it enjoyable for your self?

Raimi: I feel that’s in each step of the way in which. Working with Marvel, or the author, Michael Waldron, or my producer Richard Palmer… we’re at all times making an attempt to make it an thrilling journey with the characters we all know and love, making an attempt to grasp the place they’re of their earlier movies so after they go ahead into this film, it’s actually a development, so the viewers is prepared for the subsequent step. We need to be in lockstep with the viewers’s expectations of who these characters are, after which we will have actually fascinating clashes with them, and conflicts between the characters. So, I assume that’s the very best reply I bought for you!

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