Sam Raimi Was Growing Avocados And Recalibrating His Directing Senses During 9-Year Break Before Doctor Strange 2

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness releases Friday, May 6, and it marks director Sam Raimi's first time back behind the camera for a film since 2013's Oz the Great and Powerful. In interviews, Raimi spoke about his time away, telling The Associated Press that he spent the time working to "recalibrate my sense as a director." He also got back in touch with gardening.

"I was kind of hiding out, producing young filmmakers work, trying to relearn new ways how to do my job so I didn't become stale," he said. "I spent a lot of time my garden thinking about it. So when the call came in for this picture, I was really ready to jump back in. I was hungry to make another movie."

Speaking to Collider about this as well, Raimi said he "didn't come close to" directing any movie after Oz the Great and Powerful. "I needed time away after that to get a hungry again, learned about filmmaking, taking some lessons, do some gardening," he said, adding that he grows avocados, among other things.

Also in the AP's interview, Raimi said he did not expect superhero films to explode in popularity in the way they have since Raimi's Spider-Man was released in 2002.

"I never expected it to take off in this gigantic way and become so crazily popular. I did recognize that in the work of Stanley and Steve Ditko and all the Marvel writers and artist there were so many movies to make. But I never thought they'd be making a movie about Moon Knight, for instance, one of their secondary or third-tier characters, or Doctor Strange, who I think was a second tier character, and being so successful with them. It took off beyond what I imaged," he said.

Multiverse of Madness was originally going to be directed by Scott Derrickson, who made the first movie, but he dropped out due to creative differences with Marvel. Raimi later came on board.

In addition to Benedict Cumberbatch as Strange, Multiverse of Madness stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Elizabeth Olsen, Benedict Wong, Xochitl Gomez, Michael Stühlbarg, and Rachel McAdams. The movie is expected to have a massive opening weekend,

big enough to pass The Batman to see a new record for 2022.

GameSpot's Multiverse of Madness review scored the film an 8/10.

"Despite the unevenness in the presentation, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is a fun, fresh take for the MCU and, with any luck, a hopeful indication of things to come in the future," reviewer Mason Downey said. "While Phase 4 has certainly not been shy about taking risks and playing with styles and genres thus far, Multiverse of Madness represents Marvel's most extreme diversion from the mold in some key ways (while, unfortunately, being deeply beholden to the formula in others.) It feels exciting to think that the MCU may be getting less precious with its toys and allowing more directors to start pulling at the seams."