by The Scarlet Witch and Doctor Strange really worked together in a previous iteration of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, played by Elizabeth Olsen.
Scott Derrickson, who oversaw the first movie and was wanted to take the sequel in an altogether different path than Sam Raimi did when he took over, was initially set to helm the follow-up to 2016’s Doctor Strange.
According to previous rumours, Derrickson wanted Nightmare to be the antagonist rather than Wanda Maximoff, who ultimately served as the major antagonist in the sequel. Raimi and the new head writer Michael Waldron decided to use Wanda because Waldron had said in an interview that they wanted a “multiversal foe.”
The author said that he had previously seen a version in which Wanda would “become nasty at the end,” but he didn’t personally support that choice.
Even early concept art from Derrickson’s version of the movie was made available; it showed how Nightmare might have appeared and how he may have interacted with Strange in a face-off.
Recent concept art disclosures have provided additional information about some of the earliest incarnations of Doctor Strange 2’s design.
Original Function of Wanda in the Doctor Strange Prequel
ArtStation has unveiled recently published concept art from a prequel to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Wanda Maximoff, played by Elizabeth Olsen, is not the film’s major nemesis in the photos; rather, she is helping Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange.
As Doctor Strange examines a dead version of himself on the sand in one piece of artwork, Wanda may be seen standing behind Benedict Wong’s Wong.
Zooming in makes it obvious that Wanda is not angry toward Doctor Strange but rather that she is on the alert for any potential threats.
A selection of concept art images depicting what Zombie Strange may have looked like were also shared by ArtStation.
With portions of flesh missing and Strange’s entire nose missing, the first image resembles a zombie from The Walking Dead quite a bit.
Another illustration shows Strange with only his skull left and is a little more graphic than the previous one.
Despite being drenched in blood and appearing more human in a different photograph, Zombie Strange is still plainly not dead but also not living.
The last piece of concept art shows Strange nearly entirely rotting away, with many of his bones still evident and almost any hair remaining.
Where to Put the Scarlet Witch
When Scott Derrickson turned over the script for the Doctor Strange sequel to Sam Raimi and Michael Waldron, numerous modifications were made, but how Wanda was handled may have had the most impact.
Wanda was certainly used more in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness than she would have been in Derrickson’s version, but given how the movie finished, it could have been Wanda’s final appearance.
Many followers voiced their dissatisfaction with Wanda’s sudden shift on her closest allies. Her heel flip appears to have been handled more slowly in Derrickson’s version, as several incidents and situations would have caused her character to evolve during the course of the film.
Now available on Disney+ for streaming is Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
