Some might go ahead and say ‘duh’ to this if they know anything about Sam Raimi’s work while others might still be a bit mystified since it’s not quite so obvious. Sorry, had to work that in there just for effect. But in reality Sam Raimi is likely one of the few that could really hope to bridge what is supposed to be the MCU’s first actual horror movie despite the fact that it will remain a superhero movie as well and there are two main reasons that, the Evil Dead movies and his Spider-Man movies. If you’re still looking a bit confused and wondering how both movies fit into this idea then you might need to go and watch them or simply read about them since Raimi took on the Spider-Man project with Tobey Maguire many years back and helped usher in the Evil Dead, a series that gave rise to one of the most sarcastic but still iconic heroes in Ashe, the chainsaw-wielding, boomstick-having hero that had to fight off a horde of the evil dead from the first movie onward. Given that the main villain of the Doctor Strange sequel is said to be Nightmare and that it could very well get kind of hairy throughout the movie since a creature that can control the dream world can think up a large number of terrors, Sam Raimi is likely the guy that can make it happen in the most convincing manner.
The ability to bridge the gap between horror and comic books movies is invaluable at this point since Doctor Strange operates on a very different level from a lot of heroes and his enemies are usually creatures and individuals that might as well come straight out of the horror comics given that a lot of them are mystically inclined or are well beyond the other heroes in the Marvel universe. There are many other magic users throughout Marvel but he’s always been one of the greatest ever since he came on the scene, and throughout his run he’s still been every bit the comic book character that he was made out to be so long ago. This is something that Raimi has excelled at in the past and should hopefully be able to do something with this time around since his unique touch when it come to horror and the comics is more than enough to appease a lot of fans that have seen what he can do and are already impressed. It’s true that his Spider-Man movies kind of went off the rails after the first one since parts 2 and 3 were still popular but starting a downward slide that, amazingly, spelled the end of Maguire when it came to the webslinger, but it’s important to remember that he was the one that kicked it off and managed to get everyone excited in the first place.
Doctor Strange is definitely a different kind of movie in that magic is one of the primary elements that makes everything work, though unlike many of the other hero movies this works in a manner to deliver something to the MCU that hasn’t been a common staple throughout the years as the franchise has been rolling along. Daniel Ricwulf of Screenrant has something else to say about this matter that’s kind of interesting. Even in the first Doctor Strange movie there was more of a cosmic feel to Dormammu than anything else, despite his horrific appearance and obvious threat to the earth. Bringing in the villainous Nightmare kicks things up a notch since the overall terror factor is something that Raimi knows how to do very well. While it’s easy to think that every movie has their threats and over the top terrors, there’s still something different about a creature that can fashion nightmares from the ether that makes it more appealing as a horror movie than a straight-up hero movie. Blending the two together takes a certain amount of skill and a director that has worked both sides and can find a way to link them in a manner that people will enjoy.
Added to this of course is the presence of Wanda, the Scarlet Witch, a character that in the comics is a mutant but in the MCU is an altered human being that can manipulate energy in a very strange but impressive manner. Her magical abilities have kind of changed with the comics throughout the years but her ability to affect the minds of others as well a the material world around her have contributed to Wanda being one of the most dangerous people in the Marvel universe. Brian Cronin of CBR has more to offer on just how Wanda has changed throughout her time in Marvel. It’s enough to say that Sam Raimi has a very big task on his hands with the Doctor Strange sequel, but it’s also worth saying that if anyone can pull this off he’s likely the guy to do it. Given his background in horror and heroes it’s bound to be impressive to see what he can do.
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