Doctor Strange Is Modeled After Anthony Bourdain In ‘Multiverse of Madness,’ Says Writer
Fans learned that a Doctor Strange scene didn’t make the cut in a WandaVision episode, disappointing those who wanted to see him onscreen with Vision and Wanda. It would have served as a tease for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, bridging elements of Scarlet Witch’s story with the Marvel film sequel. The movie is due out in 2022, and the Sorcerer Supreme (played by Benedict Cumberbatch) will appear with some tweaks to his character.
‘Doctor Strange 2’ slated for 2022 with plot changes
Originally, Scott Derrickson was on board to director Doctor Strange 2 for Marvel. He helmed the 2016 film that introduced the magician into the MCU. But he left the second project in early 2020 due to creative differences. When the sequel was first announced, Derrickson intended to take the story into horror territory and pull from the comic books’ darker themes.
Kevin Feige nixed that notion, and many fans believe that caused the “creative differences.” Moving forward, Sam Raimi is now directing Doctor in the Multiverse of Madness which is set to drop on March 25, 2022. According to writer and executive producer Michael Waldron, they modified the story from what Derrickson aimed to do.
Doctor Strange has inklings of chef Anthony Bourdain
Waldron — who’s behind Loki and Rick and Morty — recently spoke to Vanity Fair about Marvel’s Phase 4. Feige recruited him to board the Doctor Strange sequel, and he told the outlet that he and Raimi did things “from scratch.”
Waldron shared that he gleaned from Steve Jobs to inform Loki’s character, and for Doctor Stephen Strange, Anthony Bourdain served as a template. “I gravitated toward Anthony Bourdain. Strange is an elitist as a neurosurgeon and a sorcerer,” he said.
“Anthony Bourdain was a man of the people, but there was that intense intellect. You always felt like he could eviscerate anybody with his words at any time. But yet, Anthony Bourdain never really punched down. That was the first ingredient in the stew for Doctor Strange.”
He also compared the Sorcerer Supreme’s interdimensional escapades with Bourdain’s treks around the globe, arguing that both have seen it all. Waldron asserted that after the events in Endgame, what does it take to push these heroes?
Another adventurer influenced Doctor Strange’s character
In terms of shaping this next film, Waldron also found inspiration in none other than Indiana Jones, the archaeologist action hero from the ‘80s. “He’s Indiana Jones in a cloak to me,” he said. “He’s a hero who can take a punch.”
Waldron described Multiverse of Madness as a “wild ride” with awesome visuals courtesy of Raimi. “I think the look of it is going to be unlike anything you’ve seen in the MCU before.” Additionally, he collaborated with the writing team that worked on WandaVision, so fans will notice — and feel — the fluid storytelling that connects these characters.
Wanda Maximoff’s magical source of power and Doctor Strange’s studies of the Time Stone should make for an interesting recipe as the heroes traverse the multiverse. As Bourdain once said, “Travel changes you. As you move through this life and this world you change things slightly, you leave marks behind, however small. And in return, life — and travel — leaves marks on you.”
