Spider-Man trilogy director Sam Raimi made his surprise return to the world of superheroes when he helmed 2022's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Despite the movie's exploration of parallel realities, the story being told didn't grant the filmmaker an opportunity to direct Spider-Man again. As we write this, there's still nothing to suggest he'll bring Spider-Man 4 to our screens. When it comes to Doctor Strange 3, we've heard that Benedict Cumberbatch is eager for Sam Mendes to make his MCU debut.
Promoting his new movie, Send Help, in a Reddit AMA on r/movies, Raimi was asked to share his biggest criticism of today's superhero movies. Decades after they were first released, Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2 still rank among the genre's best offerings, and his answer wasn't what you might expect.
"That they don't offer me more of them," Raimi replied, making it clear that his only issue is that he's being tasked to helm more comic book adaptations.
Unfortunately, Raimi didn't answer any Spider-Man 4 queries. He did, however, reveal where the inspiration for the fan-favourite Mr. Ditkovich came from.
"Elya Baskin played Mr. Ditkovich in the first three Spider-Man movies," he said. "It was the great writer Alvin Sargent who came up with his character, and Elya added so much to it. Ursula, played by Mageina Tovah, completed the comic duo, she was great to work with."
The full Q&A is worth a read if you're eager to learn more about Send Help, and Raimi explained why his experience working with Rachel McAdams on the Doctor Strange sequel is what led to him casting her as his latest movie's lead.
"Working with Rachel McAdams on Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was a really eye-opening experience for me. I saw how talented she was as a performer," he shared. "And because there was an alternate multi-versal version of her character, I had the opportunity to watch her create a mirrored version of the same person."
"It was so close to the original, but absolutely unique. By the time reshoots came along, there was a third version of her character. Yet another version of the same, but with a slightly different history. She played this one perfectly also. Then, when it came to her action sequences, she was so willing to commit and put everything into it! I told myself this is the actress I should be working with next," Raimi concluded.
Send Help arrives in theaters on January 30.
In 'Send Help,' two colleagues become stranded on a deserted island, the only survivors of a plane crash. On the island, they must overcome past grievances and work together to survive, but ultimately, it's an unsettling, darkly humorous battle of wills and wits to make it out alive. “Send Help” is directed by genre-bending visionary Sam Raimi and stars Oscar nominee Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien. The film is produced by Raimi and Zainab Azizi, executive produced by JJ Hook and written by Damian Shannon & Mark Swift, with original music by Danny Elfman.