Doctor Strange 2 Original Director Scott Derrickson Says Leaving The Director's Seat was 'The Right Decision'

Sam Raimi's return to the superhero genre with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was celebrated by the fans. Raimi, who's known for his distinctive take on horror flicks, shifted the superhero tone of the Doctor Strange sequel, incorporating horror elements and jumpscares that are not usually present in an MCU film.

Although fans obviously worshipped Raimi's approach to Multiverse of Madness, the director's seat initially belonged to the original 2016 Doctor Strange director, Scott Derrickson. However, Derrickson had to leave the franchise reportedly due to 'creative differences.' But in a new interview, Scott Derrickson shed some new light on why he had to exit Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

In an interview with Empire Magazine via (Syfy), 2016's Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson opens up about his abrupt exit in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which was quickly turned over to Spider-Man director Sam Raimi.

Derrickson revealed that the reason why he stepped off from the director's seat is to take care of his mental well-being. "I'd been in therapy for a number of years dealing with early childhood trauma," Derrickson explained. "I grew up in a violent neighborhood and in a violent household. Everybody got beat with a belt — or worse. There was a lot of bleeding and fights, to and from school. Ever-present violence was the nature of that blue-collar neighborhood."

Derrickson went on to clarify that he is still tied to Marvel Studios and revealed that leaving the Doctor Strange sequel was the 'right decision' for his career when he chose to helm Ethan Hawke's The Black Phone instead of the Marvel film.

"Contrary to gossip, it was all really amicable [when I left] and I'd work there again," the director added. "I'm going to the premiere [of Multiverse of Madness] and I'm really looking forward to it, but I feel like I made the right decision. I've made the movie I was meant to make, at the time I was meant to make it."

Raimi undoubtedly offered the audience a unique and fresh take on an MCU film with his well-known horror elements, but director Scott Derrickson has also established an impressive reputation when it comes to horror movies, featuring some of his notable works like Hellraiser, Sinister, and The Exorcism of Emily Rose.

Given how both directors have a history of directing horror flicks, it's hard to distinguish what Derrickson's version of the film would look like. What's evident for now, is that turning over the director's seat to Sam Raimi was the right choice for Multiverse of Madness, with, of course, Scott Derrickson still seated as the executive producer.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is still showing in theaters worldwide.

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