Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was one of last year's highest-grossing films, pulling in nearly a billion dollars at the global box office against a $200 million budget. But, while Benedict Cumberbatch's return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe following his role in Spider-Man: No Way Home, which premiered half a year prior and pulled in close to two billion dollars, many fans felt like something was missing from the film, and we might finally know why.
Sam Raimi wasn't the initial choice to direct Doctor Strange 2. The first film's director, Scott Derrickson, another horror movie stalwart, was supposed to be at the helm again to do the follow-up. However, due to creative differences (if you ask Kevin Feige) and the need for a mental health break (as per Derrickson), the Sinister director vacated his role and remained on the board as an executive producer only.
This meant Sam Raimi only had two years between 2020 and the film's release in 2022 to put his own stamp on the film while making sure that Kevin Feige greenlit the entire thing.
