Sam Raimi Reveals Why He Returned to Marvel

The latest behind-the-scenes featurette about Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness features new interviews with producer Kevin Feige and director Sam Raimi on how the fairly straightforward first Doctor Strange movie gave birth to this darker, more disturbing, more surreal sequel.

In the video, Raimi also explains why he returned to the world of Marvel superheroes after 15 years doing other things. (His last Marvel movie was 2007’s Spider-Man 3.) “I got a call from my agent saying that Kevin Feige and the Marvel team were looking for a director for the new Doctor Strange movie,” Raimi explained. He also notes that he was a big fan of the first Strange (“it was really intelligent and interesting”) so when “that offer came in, I thought this would be a really good challenge.”

The preview also includes new footage from the film, including the so-called “Defender Strange” — that’s the one in elaborate armor and a ponytail — in action, plus even more glimpses of the multiverse at its madness. Check it out below:

Here’s Doctor Strange’s official synopsis:

In Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the MCU unlocks the Multiverse and pushes its boundaries further than ever before. Journey into the unknown with Doctor Strange, who, with the help of mystical allies both old and new, traverses the mind-bending and dangerous alternate realities of the Multiverse to confront a mysterious new adversary.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness opens exclusively in theaters on May 6.