Making the announcement on his social media accounts, the filmmaker cites 'creative differences' as the reason why he drops out of the upcoming Marvel movie.

• Jan 10, 2020

AceShowbiz - "Doctor Strange 2" has just lost its director. Scott Derrickson, who directed the first movie and was originally tapped to direct the sequel titled "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness", has announced that he stepped down from the role.

The filmmaker broke the news on his social media accounts on Thursday, January 9. He posted, "Marvel and I have mutually agreed to part ways on Doctor Strange: In the Multiverse of Madness due to creative differences."

While many fans and his followers have expressed their disappointment at the news, Derrickson hinted that his exit was amicable and he would still be credited as an executive producer. "I am thankful for our collaboration and will remain on as EP," he concluded his statement.

Derrickson had been developing the upcoming Marvel movie for about a year and had, along with Marvel, said the story would be horror-tinged and be connected to the upcoming Disney+ series "WandaVision". This leads to a speculation that a disagreement about the extent to which the film should express those horror elements might lead to his exit.

Production on "Doctor Strange 2" is scheduled to start in May and it's not expected to change, though the studio has not announced a replacement for Derrickson. Benedict Cumberbatch is on board to reprise his role as the Sorcerer Supreme a.k.a. the title character, with Elizabeth Olsen, who plays Scarlet Witch in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, being expected to appear in the film.

Jade Bartlett was hired in October as the writer for the "Doctor Strange" sequel, which is slated for a May 7, 2021 release in the United States. In December, Derrickson tweeted, "Studio release dates are the enemy of art," but it's unclear if he meant that he wanted more time to work on the sequel.