There aren’t exactly many direct comparisons to be drawn between the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s reality-bending blockbuster Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and the Indiana Jones franchise, other than the fact both fall under the Disney banner, but Elizabeth Olsen has stepped in to clarify some comments from writer Michael Waldron.
The Loki creator and executive producer was tasked to crack the script for the Sorcerer Supreme’s sequel once Sam Raimi was brought on board to replace Scott Derrickson behind the camera, and in a recent interview he made some interesting comparisons when talking about Benedict Cumerbatch’s title hero, likening him to the late celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain, while also labeling him as “Indiana Jones in a cloak”.
Waldron may have been referring to the former neurosurgeon’s ability to take a punch and keep getting up, but Indy’s adventures have been known to add in some supernatural elements that push the boundaries of their respective ratings, with Temple of Doom almost entirely responsible for existence of PG-13 branding.
However, Olsen refuted the notion that Multiverse of Madness will be aping the Indiana Jones formula, instead insisting that it’ll be much more reflective of Raimi’s work in the horror genre.
“I think it’s scarier than Indiana Jones. I think it definitely feels more Sam Raimi than that. So maybe that was the goal, but it definitely became something darker I think. Yes, the horror genre feeling of constant fear and thrill and misleads and playing with camera, playing with how the perspective of the depth of field in order to make the audience feel more anxious. I think it’s more than like a glossy Indiana Jones movie. Which I love Indiana Jones, but I feel like it has a darker thing going on.”
Raimi’s horror-driven efforts also boast no shortage of black comedy and fun moments, which sounds like the ideal concoction for something like Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and the film has long since been touted as the closest the MCU has come to the genre. It’s going to be a big, weird and hopefully wonderful ride, especially if it manages to juggle so many disparate elements into something the likes of which we’ve never seen from the long-running superhero series before.
