James Gunn Was Surprised By Scott Derrickson’s ‘Doctor Strange 2’ Exit

James Gunn was surprised to see that Scott Derrickson decided to leave the director’s chair of Doctor Strange 2. 

Early in January, fans and industry pundits were shocked to see Scott Derrickson leave Doctor Strange 2 over creative differences. No specific reasons for Scott Derrickson’s departure was listed apart from creative differences, and it was maintained that the split between the director and the studio was amicable. Despite being one of Marvel’s most prolific directors, James Gunn revealed that he was surprised to hear Scott Derrickson wouldn’t be a part of Doctor Strange 2.

During an Instagram Q&A session, James Gunn was asked his thoughts on Scott Derrickson’s departure from Doctor Strange 2. The Guardians of the Galaxy director said that he hasn’t been in contact with Scott Derrickson since the announcement, but he was surprised by his exit.

“I haven’t talked to Scott about this yet so I don’t really have any thoughts, I was surprised!”

James Gunn has also had his fair share of issues and setbacks with the Disney-owned Marvel Studios. James Gunn was famously fired off of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3 by Disney over questionable tweets he made years prior. After his firing, James Gunn apologized and stated that they were in poor taste, even though they were intended to be comedic. However, James Gunn was later reinstated as the director for the final film in the space opera trilogy.

Scott Derrickson once stated Doctor Strange 2 was poised to be the first horror film within the confines of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Now that Scott Derrickson has exited Doctor Strange 2, it’s hard to imagine anyone else bringing in the horror-flair that Scott Derrickson is known for. Marvel Studios has a considerable amount of projects in development, which means that not all of them will run smoothly. It’s good to know that there’s no bad blood between Scott Derrickson and Marvel over Doctor Strange 2, as Scott Derrickson will still remain on the film as an executive producer. Currently, no director has been announced for the Doctor Strange sequel, though it is still expected to begin filming in May.

What are your thoughts on James Gunn being surprised over Scott Derrickson leaving Doctor Strange 2? Comment below and let us know!

Details on Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness are currently limited, though it is said to feature horror elements. Furthermore, the Disney Plus mini-series WandaVision will also serve as the lead-in to the Doctor Strange sequel.

Scott Derrickson is no longer board Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness as a director, but he is still attached to the sequel as an executive producer and the search for a new director to realize the script written by Jade Bartlett is underway. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Rachel McAdams, Benedict Wong, and Elizabeth Olsen.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is scheduled to be released in theaters on May 7, 2021.

Source: James Gunn