Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness director Sam Raimi would love to direct a Batman movie, should Warner Bros. ever invite him to helm a film starring the Dark Knight.
Raimi expressed interest in calling the shots on a future Bat-flick, in a recent interview with Empire. "I’ve always loved Batman," he said. "If I ever saw the Bat-Signal up in the air, I'd come running. If I heard that deep, gurgling laugh of The Shadow coming from the darkness, I would also tentatively step outside. And Spider-Man would be ahead of Doctor Strange, but I don't want to put him down the list!"
Raimi's first superhero outing was 1990's Darkman, whose titular protagonist was created by the filmmaker after he failed to secure the rights to produce a movie starring either Batman or The Shadow. Darkman starred Liam Neeson as Dr. Peyton Westlake/Darkman, a disfigured vigilante who uses his newfound superhuman abilities to bring those responsible for his condition to justice. The film was a box office success and proved Raimi's viability as an action blockbuster director.
Over a decade later, Raimi returned to the superhero genre with 2002's Spider-Man, which starred Tobey Maguire as Marvel Comics' flagship costumed adventurer. Spider-Man was a massive critical and commercial success and was soon followed by two sequels, with Maguire reprising the lead role in both. While both follow-up films performed well financially, only Spider-Man 2 rivaled the popularity of its predecessor, with Spider-Man 3 receiving a more lukewarm response from fans and critics.
Raimi's next stint behind the camera on a superhero movie would come 13 years later when he was hired to take over Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness following the departure of original director Scott Derrickson. Derrickson voiced his support for Raimi after he exited the production, writing, "The [Doctor Strange 2] trailer is great and of course I'm excited! I love Sam -- he was the right director for this one, just as The Black Phone was the right film for me to go make. All is good."
Star Benedict Cumberbatch recently confirmed that a second round of Doctor Strange 2 reshoots are currently underway, despite the film's impending premiere date. The movie's initial wave of additional filming was reported to be "significant" at the time, however, Cumberbatch chalked up the need for reshoots to scheduling and logistical issues that arose while shooting during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness opens in theaters on May 6.
Source: Empire