Credit: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Anyone who saw Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness can clearly see that the film was geared toward the rated-R side. This is nothing new for Sam Raimi, as the filmmaker is well known for his eye in the world of horror. Of course, Raimi became famous as a filmmaker due to the Evil Dead series, but looking back on his incarnations of Spider-Man, scenes such as the mechanical arms of Doc. Ock going murder crazy in the hospital has always been a signature trait of the veteran. However, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness seemed darker and more adult this time around, with all the death and horror that dominated the Marvel feature.
That’s not particularly Marvel’s brand, though the studio has been opening the doors to more adult content. First, it came when the company decided to purchase all of the Netflix exclusives: Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, Daredevil, The Punisher, and Luke Cage. Now, with Deadpool, which is expected to maintain the R-rating. Movies like Deadpool, Joker, and Logan have proven that gritter and darker superhero stories can sell at the box office; however, Marvel does have a specific brand for their MCU content and want as many eyes on their product as possible.
There are rumors that there’s a three-hour-plus Rated-R Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, though as of this writing, a director’s cut of the feature doesn’t seem to be coming out in the near future. Whether you loved or hated Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, it does stand out in a unique way compared to movies or shows like Thor: Love & Thunder, Ms. Marvel, and She-Hulk, but apparently Doctor Strange 2 wasn’t dark enough in Benedict Cumberbatch’s eyes.
Credit: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
The Oscar nominee revealed in an interview with Prestige that he suggested that the movie up the ante when it comes to the tone of the sequel, noting that he actually wrote some of the scenes featuring Doctor Strange variants and that he worked to make some of the scenes less “saccharine.”
“I suggested that it needed to get darker at a point,” he said. “There was a slightly more saccharine version at one stage and I’m really with the way it evolved. Sam Raimi was so game for it and Michael Waldron really supported me to write it as well.”
Apparently, Marvellous Melvyn has a more in-depth and saccharine version in the film’s multiverse of infinite worlds; however, the character was eventually cut from the feature altogether:
Credit: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
“We turned what was a very small combat between the two into a sort of very bizarre and inventive battle in the moment,” said Cumberbatch. “I really loved it. It was how the original was pitched to me a long while back when Scott Derrickson was still working with us: Strange would meet versions of himself. It was something I wanted to lean into. We could have gone even further, and maybe it will go into the future. Who knows what other versions we might need in the multiverse chapter of the MCU? But it was very enjoyable to play all the variants of myself.”
Will we ever get to see the darker and gritter version of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness? It would be shocking if Marvel never released an uncut version of the film. At the moment, there don’t seem to be many plans with Dr. Strange as a third film isn’t listed on the studio’s Phase five schedule, though it wouldn’t be a surprise if the popular Marvel character pops up in another film somewhere down the line. We’ll keep you updated if more information comes to light.
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