Studio interference has often hindered long-running franchises from having uniquely styled entries. Warner Bros' constant muddling with the DCEU is well known, but Marvel has seemingly been let off for their interference in movies such as Doctor Strange 2.
Doctor Strange 2 isn't out yet, but the movie was initially described as Marvel's first horror movie. The film was originally supposed to be directed by the first film’s Scott Derrickson, but the director left the project. Now we know why.
Doctor Strange 2 creative differences
The reveal of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was a huge part of Marvel's Phase 4 hype train. Not only was it to continue the MCU in a big way, but it was planned to be a frightfest. In an interview with Cinemablend, original Doctor Strange 2 writer C. Roger Cargill explained the situation.
When the opportunity came to helm the Strange sequel, Derrickson had a choice. Would he work on the new Marvel movie, or would he direct an original film? The two initially agreed to wait until Strange 2 was finished as Derrickson told him, "It's gotta be my movie, I have to do this."
"So he sat there and said, ‘Well shit, I’ve got this great script that I wrote with Cargill, and I’m really proud of.’ We were actually going to go out to other directors for The Black Phone, and Scott was like, he called me up and said, ‘Dude, I have to make this movie. It’s gotta be my movie, I have to do this. Do you mind waiting until after I’m done with [Doctor Strange 2,] and he really wanted to bring me onto Strange as well. But in the event that it didn’t happen, he was like, ‘Do you mind waiting?’ And I was like, ‘You know what, if you feel this passionately about it, no. I’ll wait a couple years to make this movie.’"
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Derrickson wanted full control
Cargill explained that Derrickson's departure was down to “creative differences". According to the writer, Derrickson had a vision for the film that Marvel wasn't keen on. Derrickson “wanted to do one movie, and Marvel wanted to do another movie."
“It came down to Scott, and Scott’s like, ‘Well, I can make this movie that I’m compromising what I wanted to do on, or I could make The Black Phone,’ and he goes, ‘You know, I want to make a movie with Cargill. I’m gonna go make The Black Phone.’ It was, as he said publically, it was a hard choice to leave Strange behind; but it made it easier that he had a movie that he was looking forward to. And then the experience was just so great that we’re just are so proud and happy with what we made."
Scott Derrickson isn't the only filmmaker to leave the MCU over creative differences. Marvel has previously upset esteemed filmmaker Edgar Wright who was once attached to Ant-Man. The movie was reportedly rewritten without Wright's consent.
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