In 2004's Spider-Man 2, comic book fans lost their minds when J. Jonah Jameson casually mentioned that the name "Doctor Strange" was already taken. Did that mean the Sorcerer Supreme was part of Peter Parker's world? Unfortunately, we never got to find out, but filmmaker Sam Raimi is bringing that hero back to the big screen in this May's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
That sequel will primarily take place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, of course, though we are anticipating visiting other realities. Talking to Empire Online, Raimi shared his delight at seeing characters from his Spider-Man franchise return in Spider-Man: No Way Home, and seemingly expressed an interest in being part of continuing to tell the story of Tobey Maguire's web-slinger.
"I’ve always loved Batman," the filmmaker admitted. "If I ever saw the Batsignal up in the air, I’d come running. If I heard that deep, gurgling laugh of The Shadow coming from the darkness, I would also tentatively step outside." Raimi then added, "And Spider-Man would be ahead of Doctor Strange, but I don’t want to put him down the list!"
So, he remains interested in Spidey, but what did the director think about Spider-Man: No Way Home? "I was honoured," Raimi admitted. "It’s like someone said, 'You know your old friends that have passed away? We’ve found a way to bring them back for a brief time.'"
While fans have expressed an interest in seeing a Spider-Man 4 with Maguire, Andrew Garfield being given another shot in The Amazing Spider-Man 3 appears to be a bigger priority for many. Hopefully, the Doctor Strange sequel will give Raimi a chance to visit his Spidey's world again.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is set to be released in theaters on May 6!