‘Strange’ magic

Raimi returns to director’s chair with ‘Doctor Strange’ sequel

It was a full circle moment for Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige to work with Royal Oak native Sam Raimi again on “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” which hit theaters on Friday.

“It’s surreal,” described Feige, who was an associate producer on 2002’s “SpiderMan,” which Raimi directed. “I was a young producer who just felt lucky to be in the same room with him. Now I’m an old producer who just feels lucky to be in the same room with him.”

“When (Feige) announced that he wanted to bring a little bit of a horror element to (‘Multiverse’), that was interesting to me. Horror and suspense have always been fun aspects of moviemaking to me. One of the reasons I’m interested in Dr. Strange as a character is because he’s a magician… A superhero who is an illusionist and magician is of particular interest,” explained Raimi, an alumnus of Groves High School and Michigan State University who now lives in Los Angeles.

Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko (who also created Spider-Man), Strange debuted in Marvel’s “Strange Tales” No. 110 in 1963. A brilliant yet arrogant surgeon, Stephen Strange was severely injured in a car crash, unable to perform surgery again. Eventually, Strange seeks out the Ancient One, a powerful mage, to heal him. Instead, Strange becomes his pupil, learning magic. Redeeming himself, he eventually becomes Sorcerer Supreme, protecting Earth from supernatural threats.

“Multiverse” occurs after 2021’s “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” where Strange and three incarnations of Spider-Man (current Spidey Tom Holland, Tobey Maguire, and Andrew Garfield) fought to save reality as villains from other realities invaded theirs. Events from 2021’s mini-series “WandaVision” and “What If?” (where Cumberbatch voiced Strange) also play into “Multiverse.”

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