At the end of last month, Scott Derrickson, director of Doctor Strange, appeared to be teasing the announcement of Doctor Strange 2. And though Kevin Feige’s already confirmed that the studio plans to make it, now we know that things are definitely progressing.
Earlier this afternoon, Mirror ran an exclusive pertaining to the portrayer of the Sorcerer Supreme, Benedict Cumberbatch, and his impending payday. According to the article, Cumberbatch will be laughing all the way to the bank, earning £7.5 million for Doctor Strange 2, which is approximately $8.5 million in USD, and an increase of roughly £5 million from his initial pay packet for the first pic.
While this is undoubtedly a terrific tidbit for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, those hoping for more Sherlock, on the other hand, might be out of luck. With principal photography on Doctor Strange 2 expected to get underway next spring – and potentially taking as long as half a year to complete – it’s supremely unlikely that Cumberbatch will be able to fit in filming a fifth season as the titular sleuth next year.
Circling back to Doctor Strange 2, though, and for Scott Derrickson – who’s yet to be invited back for the follow-up – and his writing cohort, C. Robert Cargill, a return does look to be a foregone conclusion at this point. After all, Marvel has a long history of bringing back successful creative teams, and Doctor Strange was obviously a big hit for the studio, earning $677 million worldwide and the certified fresh approval of Rotten Tomatoes.
As for the plot and villain of Doctor Strange 2, Cargill briefly mapped out the sequel’s trajectory earlier this year during a Q&A. Evidently, Nightmare “will be the antagonist,” and both Cargill and Derrickson hope to bring the villainous side of Baron Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor) to fruition. Beyond that, we don’t know much about what to expect, but with Cumberbatch’s deal now locked in, expect the production to pick up the pace a bit.
