Sam Raimi threw some cold water on rumors that he will return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe to direct Avengers: Secret Wars, but he is open to the idea if Marvel is.
The filmmaker spoke about his future in a WonderCon interview with ScreenGeek, who asked him about rumors that he was the top pick to direct Marvel's upcoming Avengers: Secret Wars. While he hopes his relationship with Marvel remains strong and he’d like to work with them again after directing 2022's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, he doesn’t have any news to share at this time.
“I love 90% of the Marvel heroes that I’ve read in the great Stan Lee Marvel Universe comic books,” Raimi explained. “I would love to work with Marvel again. They haven’t reasonably asked me to. I hope they had a good experience with me. They haven’t asked me yet. I hope they do.”
Rumors that Raimi could helm Avengers: Secret Wars started last year with X/Twitter leaker @MyTimeToShineH. While Raimi’s own response makes his involvement seem less likely, it doesn’t necessarily disprove the rumor that Marvel is interested. The studio hasn't announced a director appointment for Secret Wars yet, although Loki's Michael Waldron is writing both Secret Wars and Kang Dynasty.
Raimi addressed another Marvel-related rumor earlier this week as well. The Evil Dead director spoke about the chances he’d return to direct another Spider-Man movie with Tobey Maguire and, similarly, while he’s not currently working on something like Spider-Man 4, it sounds like he’s open to returning if Marvel is interested. In short, in both cases, it sounds like the ball is in Marvel's court.
Following a number of schedule shakeups, Avengers: Secret Wars is set to finally bring an end to a major MCU chapter come May 7, 2027. Marvel has had its hands full with shuffled schedules and casting issues for the last year or so, but there will be plenty to keep fans busy in the meantime. That includes Deadpool and Wolverine on July 26, 2024, Captain America: Brave New World on February 14, 2025, Thunderbolts on May 2, 2025, and Fantastic Four on July 25, 2025.
Image Credit: Chelsea Guglielmino / Getty Images
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.
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