New Reports Reveal Huge Production Shift for ‘Doctor Strange’ 3

Doctor Strange may finally be moving forward again at Marvel Studios. Nexus Point News reports that the third film has entered early development, marking the first real update about the character’s next solo story since the second movie arrived in 2022. According to the outlet, Marvel is now looking for a new director to take over the project.

The second film had its own complicated path. When Marvel first talked about making the sequel, Scott Derrickson was set to return and the studio described the movie as the MCU’s first real horror-style entry.

Early plans also suggested that Doctor Strange and Wanda Maximoff would share the story. Derrickson later stepped away because of what Marvel called “creative differences,” and Sam Raimi took over while writer Michael Waldron reworked the script. COVID-19 delays then pushed filming back and forced changes behind the scenes.

Elizabeth Olsen said she learned only “three weeks before filming” that Wanda would become the main villain of the movie. She explained that she thought the film would build directly on her character’s story from WandaVision. Raimi and Waldron ended up changing many details during filming. By the end of the movie, Strange meets Clea, played by Charlize Theron, in a short scene that points to his next mission.

Nexus Point News also reports that Benedict Cumberbatch is taking a more active role in the early discussions for the new movie. The outlet says he is part of the talks about choosing a director and writer. They note that he has interest in Sam Mendes, though Mendes is already working on several other films.

The outlet adds that Marvel is not expected to bring back Sam Raimi or Michael Waldron for the next chapter. They also say filming will not begin until Avengers: Secret Wars is finished, which means fans may have to wait a long time for production to start.

Since Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness came out, the character’s future has been unclear. The last movie ended on a cliffhanger with Clea, which seemed to set up another story right away.

But fans started asking questions when neither Cumberbatch nor Theron appeared on the cast list for Avengers: Doomsday, leaving people unsure whether Marvel planned to continue that storyline in another project or save it for Doctor Strange 3.

If the new report is accurate, it appears Marvel is finally ready to move forward.

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