Hot on the heels of this week's
big director news, Marvel Studios has enlisted
Loki head writer Michael Waldron to rewrite the script for their highly anticipated
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which will feature the return of Benedict Cumberbatch as the Sorcerer Supreme.
Jade Halley Bartlett penned the film's original draft.
While negotiations with
Spider-Man trilogy director Sam Raimi are still ongoing, it appears things are trending in the right direction and Raimi will indeed take the helm of the
Doctor Strange sequel, which is expected to begin production in May of this year - although with a new director and writer just coming on-board this week, it remains to be seen whether filming will be pushed back to allow the pair more time to prep.
In addition to Cumberbatch, the fillm's cast is expected to bring back a number of familiar faces from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch, Benedict Wong as Wong and Chiwetel Ejiofor as Karl Mordo.
Rachel McAdams, however, will
not reprise her role as Dr. Christine Palmer.
Plot details remain locked away at the Sanctum Sanctorum for now, but Nightmare is rumored to serve as the villain of the picture.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will conjure its way into theaters May 7, 2021.