Scott Derrickson Says He Left ‘Doctor Strange 2’ to Avoid Making a ‘Really Bad Movie’

Horror veteran Scott Derrickson introduced Doctor Strange to the Marvel Cinematic Universe back in 2016, but left the director’s chair for its 2022 sequel “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.” In a recent podcast interview, the filmmaker assured that he exited the franchise not because of any behind-the-scenes drama, but because he wanted to avoid making “a really bad movie.”

“When the producer or the studio and the filmmaker are making different movies, you end up with a monstrosity and, you know, that’s why I had to bounce,” he explained.

Derrickson was interviewed on the podcast “The Discourse” about his contribution “V/H/S/85,” the sixth installment of the horror anthology series that began in 2012 and which has just been released on Netflix.

During the interview, Derrickson was asked about his exit from “Doctor Strange 2.” He said that he wanted “Multiverse of Madness” to be a “genuine horror film of sorts” that would have been a radical departure from the first “Doctor Strange.” Instead, he departed the project over creative differences, and he says there’s not much more to add beyond that two-word phrase.

“All I can say is that what we said publicly is exactly the truth,” Derrickson said. “We had real creative differences. You know, the movie I wanted to make and how I wanted to make it was different than — it was just increasingly obvious that we were pulling against each other. And that’s how you make a really bad movie, I think. When the producer or the studio and the filmmaker are making different movies, you end up with a monstrosity and, you know, that’s why I had to bounce.”

“Multiverse of Madness” was picked up by “Evil Dead” and “Spider-Man” director Sam Raimi, and it grossed $955 million at the global box office. Derrickson, meanwhile, had a horror hit of his own with “The Black Phone,” which grossed $161 million worldwide against a $16 million budget.

Despite the departure, Derrickson said there was no hard feelings.

“I’m still friends with Kevin [Feige, Marvel Studios president] and everything with me and Marvel is really cool,” he said. “They invited me to the premiere and I went. And I’m friends with Sam. I love Sam, so there’s no bad blood over that.”

Derrickson’s work in “V/H/S/85” is streaming on Netflix. Both “Doctor Strange” films can be streamed on Disney+.

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