The world premiere of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness at the Dolby Theatre on Monday night brought the multiverse to Hollywood.
Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Benedict Wong, Rachel McAdams, and Marvel newcomer Xochitl Gomez, as well as filmmaker Sam Raimi, all walked the red carpet, with some even stopping to engage with ecstatic fans lined Hollywood Boulevard.
Dr. Strange himself, Cumberbatch explained to The Hollywood Reporter at the screening ahead of the film’s Friday release why he thinks Raimi was picked to direct the Marvel Studios sequel. Raimi has strong roots in the horror genre.
“I think Sam’s simply got the combo of superhero-dom and horror,” Cumberbatch tells THR. “I believe that’s what you’ll see hopefully portrayed in this picture and the tone of it.” “Any fan of Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy will get the most incredible nostalgia dose of shock terror, jump scares, and everything else that’s his signature in horror, but also how he manages a complicated narrative, deep character relationship, and progression with those characters.”
In the early 2000s, Raimi helmed Sony’s original Spider-Man trilogy. On Tuesday, Raimi’s Spider-Man turned 20 years old. Two decades later, the legendary filmmaker talked out about returning to the Marvel world of superheroes for Madness.
“It’s amazing to look back 20 years and see how everything has changed, and to see how Kevin Feige, who was just an assistant on the Spider-Man movies, rose to prominence and became the Marvel universe’s ruler,” Raimi tells THR. “It’s also fantastic that he cares about the characters’ honesty. That, I believe, is the secret of Marvel’s success.”
“I believe that is Kevin’s objective,” Olsen adds. “Kevin wants to mirror the world we see, which implies diversity and inclusivity.” We have such a wonderful chance to have representation on our television screens, and I’m honored to be a part of it.”
