Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is in the midst of reshoots, and when fans hear "reshoots," their mind goes to the worst-case scenario. However, Benedict Cumberbatch reminded fans that reshoots can be for the better.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will evidently tackle the "multiverse," which is a popular concept in both Marvel and DC comic book stories. The idea entails having alternate versions of multiple characters from their own universe. This concept plays a major part in the upcoming film Spider-Man: No Way Home, where fans can see Alfred Molina's Doc Ock and several more villains return for the first time since they appeared in Sony's previous Spider-Man films.
Some reports on Doctor Strange 2's reshoots suggested they were going significantly retool the story, while others indicated they were merely for pickups or additional photography with actors who were previously unavailable. Regardless of what actually comes from the reshoots, Cumberbatch says the reshoots are meant to enhance the film instead of taking anything away from it. Speaking to Empire Magazine, Cumberbatch said, "We're working incredibly hard to make a schedule work to realise the full potential of the film – bits that we want to do better but also bits that were just impossible to do on the day because of logistics, COVID etc." In fact, it appears COVID restrictions and limitations during the initial shooting period were a key reason why Doctor Strange 2 needed reshoots. Speaking on the pandemic, Cumberbatch said, "We were so delayed in production, because of that. Luckily, not during production too much. Although everything is just a little slower."
Dealing with the multiverse no doubt required coordinating schedules between multiple talents and ensuring the VFX team had enough time to complete their work. Films of this magnitude have a lot hanging on their shoulders, especially ones with budgets like Doctor Strange 2. If reports on the story are true, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will be making big changes to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) that may or may not include bringing in many long-awaited characters that fans have been waiting for, such as the X-Men.
The pandemic has definitely affected many things, including the film industry (in more ways than one) and it looks like everyone is making up for a lost time. Films are being scheduled again, more films are being released, and more projects are continuing or beginning production.
Hopefully, when Doctor Strange 2 is finally released, Marvel is able to deliver an incredible project that people can enjoy. Fans of Marvel have been enjoying the Disney Plus series like Hawkeye as well as the Phase 4 films. Hopefully, Doctor Strange 2 continues the trend for the highly successful movie franchise.
Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness is scheduled to be released in theaters on May 6, 2022.
Source: Empire (via ComicBook.com)