After the success of 2022's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Sam Raimi wants to helm the upcoming MCU project Avengers: Secret Wars. The famed director, who made the original Spider-Man trilogy in the 2000s, has expressed interest in the superhero film that is scheduled for a 2027 release.
In an interview with Screen Geek, the Army of Darkness filmmaker was asked if he would be directing the upcoming Marvel film amid rumours of his involvement. Raimi responded:
"I love 90% of the Marvel heroes that I’ve read in the great Stan Lee Marvel Universe comic books. 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."
Sam Raimi was in attendance at the WonderCon 2024 to promote Boy Kills World, in which he serves as producer.
Sam Raimi's potential projects in the Marvel Cinematic Universe
With his Spider-Man trilogy starring Tobey Maguire, Sam Raimi cemented his legacy in pop culture and the superhero world. Known for his work in the Evil Dead franchise, Raimi also created his own superhero named Darkman in the 1990 film, which eventually became part of Marvel.
In 2022, Raimi was hired to direct the sequel to Doctor Strange. The film was highly successful and generated around $955 million in box office. Thus, Raimi has had a long history with Marvel Studios and it is not impossible for him to take the director's seat for Avengers: Secret Wars.
There were also recent rumours about a potential fourth Spider-Man film with Tobey Maguire, following the actor's cameo in 2021's No Way Home alongside Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland. This stemmed from the fact that the original trilogy was supposed to continue with further installments, but Sam Raimi backed out due to deadline issues and creative differences.
However, with the introduction of the multiverse in the MCU, Sam Raimi was open to the idea of Spider-Man 4 with Maguire. In a 2022 interview with MoviePilot, the director said:
"I didn't think it was possible but after jumping back in with the multiverse I realized just like Doctor Strange does, anything is possible now. So I'm completely open to it."
But Marvel and Sony has seemingly no plans to make the movie yet. In conversation with CBR on April 2, Sam Raimi responded to the rumors about a potential continuation of his Spider-Man trilogy:
"Well, I haven't heard about that yet, I did read that, but, I'm actually not working on it yet. I mean, Marvel and Columbia [are] so successful with their current Spider-Man and the track there and I don't know that they're going to go back to me and say 'We could also tell that story!' I'm not sure. But I love all the new Spider-Man movies. I loved Spider-Man: No Way Home. It was really, super powerful seeing Tobey [Maguire] again in it."
He was also asked if Maguire would return to play Peter Parker should the movie be made. Raimi replied:
"I haven't talked to Tobey about it, but maybe Marvel has, or Columbia Pictures. But, I just worked with Marvel on a movie called Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. So, I'm on great terms with them. I'm sure I would hear about it if it was in the works. I think so. I don't know."
Fans have been waiting in anticipation for a new installment of Raimi's trilogy despite no official announcements by the studios involved. Thomas Haden Church, who played Sandman in Spider-Man 3 and reprised the role in No Way Home, fueled fire to the rumors. In an interview with Comicbook.com last month, the actor said:
"There's been some rumors that they might ask me to do another Spider-Man, and I'd do it tomorrow... But, you know, I think Sam is gonna do another Spider-Man with Tobey [Maguire], and that's the one that ... They had an option for me to do Spiderman 4 when there was going to be a Spiderman 4. They had an option on me to come back. So if it happens, that would be fantastic."
While nothing has been confirmed yet, there is potential for Raimi to work with Marvel again. With rumors of Spider-Man 4 being in the works and Avengers: Secret Wars having no director attached yet, Raimi might create magic once more with a new MCU film.
Sam Raimi's new film Boy Kills World, which he produced, is set to release on April 26, 2024.