Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is currently undergoing reshoots, according to one of its actors.
The Marvel Phase 4 movie is slated for release in March 2022 but, in a recent interview with Collider, Benedict Wong revealed that the Sam Raimi-led superhero flick needed additional work before it meets that launch date.
Speaking as part of a broader interview on the MCU, Wong – who plays Strange’s sorcerer ally Wong in the movie series – was asked about what it was like to collaborate with Raimi during the film’s production.
After explaining how Raimi allowed for the movie’s cast to improvise during filming, Wong revealed that reshoots were currently taking place for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
“I like throwing alts [alternate lines] and he likes them, so we just have a bit of a laugh,” Wong said. “I just throw anything at the wall, and sometimes it will fall down and sometimes it’ll stick. It’s amazing, the creative process. As long as you’re not afraid to throw something at the wall, it might be right or it might be wrong, but we’re all just trying to make something here.
“We’re having a lot of fun. We’re finishing that [reshoots] off in September, so we’re nearly there.”
Analysis: will Doctor Strange 2’s release be delayed again?
Given Wong’s latest comments, some Marvel fans may be concerned that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will receive another launch date delay.
The film has already had its release pushed back twice due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. It was originally due to arrive in theaters on May 7, 2021 but that was moved to November 5, 2021 as the virus gripped the globe.
Doctor Strange 2 was delayed further to March 25, 2022 not long after, too, due to Sony and Marvel’s decision to release Spider-Man: No Way Home in November 2021. The latter movie has since had its release date bumped to December 17, 2021.
Despite Wong’s reshoots admission, though, we don’t think that Doctor Strange 2 will be delayed for a third time.
With the actor claiming that reshoots will be done in September, that gives the movie’s creative team – Raimi included – six months to create a final version of the film for its March 2022 arrival.
Of course, a final cut will need to be finished earlier so Marvel executives can sign off on it. That means that, at the very most, Raimi and company will have until late January (or early February) next year to finish the movie.
Even though it’ll need to be edited, CGI effects included, the score laid over it and any other niggling work, we’re confident that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will land in theaters next March. If it doesn’t, Marvel will need to let fans and theater companies know, as well as rejig its movie release schedule, as soon as possible.
