Has Marvel Found Its Director For 'Doctor Strange 2'?

At this point in time, it’s safe to say that Stephen Strange’s future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is uncertain. He might be donning those yellow gloves to help the Revengers in Thor: Ragnarok, and he’s undoubtedly getting ready to face down against Thanos (Josh Brolin) in Avengers: Infinity War, but after that, what next? It’s been a year since his first cinematic outing, and there’s been no hint of any sequel surfacing any time soon. But if a recent post online is to be believed, a director may have signed onto the project, so all of this sequel-related silence could be about to change.

Has Scott Derrickson Signed On As Director Of 'Doctor Strange 2'?

If you’re an avid Twitter user and movie fan, I’d certainly recommend that you follow Scott Derrickson. Indeed, the Doctor Strange director is a witty and engaging presence on the social media site, and you can find him eagerly debating the ins and outs of both film making and theory with fellow movie makers and fans alike. Yet recently, Derrickson took a break from his discussion of the Weinstein scandal to post the following, cryptic tweet.

The tweet reads: “Me after signing every movie deal,” and is accompanied by a vintage comic book panel, which depicts Doctor Strange in difficulties. Sure, it could just be a harmless post. Derrickson may just have stumbled across the panel and thought it suited a funny and relatable situation. But let’s face it, the fact that Derrickson chose to discuss upcoming movie projects with a Doctor Strange picture is very telling, especially when plans for a sequel to the 2016 hit are up in the air. So, has Scott Derrickson signed on for Doctor Strange 2?

Naturally, there’s no official confirmation yet, so we can’t definitively say whether Derrickson has been hired at this stage or not, but we here at Movie Pilot think (and hope) it is true!

Where cast and crew are concerned, Marvel Studios approach has always been to double down on what is working well for them. Indeed, the repeated hiring of the Russo Brothers and James Gunn after their respective successes with #CaptainAmerica and #GuardiansoftheGalaxy is evidence of this in itself. Doctor Strange may not have reached the dizzying heights of The Avengers or Civil War’s box-office takings, but the film still garnered a huge financial return for Marvel Studios, and they’ll be looking to repeat that success in the future.

Plus, the future could very much be a huge determining factor in Derrickson’s hiring. With #AvengersInfinityWar and its unnamed sequel inching ever closer, Marvel Studios will be no-doubt rushing to set up what comes next in Phase 4. The next stage of the #MCU already has James Gunn lined up to meet Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’s 2020 release date, so Doctor Strange is conspicuous by his absence on the Phase 4 roster. Why? Well, Kevin Feige has already hinted that he’s considering replacing Robert Downey Jr — the current, unofficial shepherd of the franchise — with the ever-charismatic #BenedictCumberbatch now that the Iron Man star’s contract is due to expire. This makes a whole lot of sense in light of Marvel’s reported plan to shake things up in Phase 4 and beyond, with an apparently heavier emphasis on mystical and cosmic tales going forward. Therefore, locking a Doctor Strange sequel down would help accomplish both ends. Strange is a Master of the Mystic Arts, after all.

This could only be a boon to comic book movie fans. Doctor Strange was a formidable movie in its own right, and we’d love to see more of Strange’s exploits against even-wackier antagonists. Certainly, Scott Derrickson crafted a really solid experience with the first Doctor Strange movie, and he’s clearly a huge fan of the character and his world. In fact, he even teased that he’d bring the villainous Nightmare into the sequels if he got the chance to direct them. Therefore, there’s a lot of promise to be realized if Scott Derrickson was brought back for #DoctorStrange2.