Scott Derrickson Quits Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness

It feels a little bit like deja vu…
Deadline reports Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson has walked away from helming the sequel, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. According to a press release from Marvel Studios, the old “creative differences” are the cause. And, for once, that may indeed be true.
Announced at last summer’s Comic-Con International: San Diego, In the Multiverse of Madness was said to be Marvel’s first foray into horror with WandaVision‘s Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) joining Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) on this mind-twisting tale. But is possible Derrickson’s notion of horror may differ from Marvel, who holds all the cards. For his part, Derrickson told fans on Twitter “Marvel and I have mutually agreed to part ways on Doctor Strange: In the Multiverse of Madness due to creative differences. I am thankful for our collaboration and will remain on as [executive producer].”
The departure may conjure up memories of James Gunn’s departure from Guardians of the Galaxy 3 or even Edgar Wright’s decision to depart from Ant-Man when he and Marvel could not agree on a script. Both instances still resulted in amicable ends with Gunn returning to the film and Peyton Reed reworking Wright’s script into something fun, appealing, and within Marvel’s vision.
Now, the search is on to find Derrickson’s replacement. Someone who can a.) reframe the film to Marvel’s specifications and b.) get it ready for its scheduled May 7th, 2021 release.