The ongoing CoVID-19 pandemic has brought many upcoming movie releases to a screeching halt. From movies still in post-production to the ones yet to begin shooting, the pandemic has pushed back major comic-book movies to later dates. From Wonder Woman 1984 to Black Widow, the unprecedented scale of the coronavirus threat has put major media houses in a sticky situation of waiting for a theatrical release or opting for a digital release. However, Doctor Strange 2 might have some good news for all the fans eagerly waiting for its release.
Though most movies have been affected by the coronavirus scare, a few major movies are yet to enter production. As a result, fans still have something to look forward to as studios are busy assigning roles to actors, stuntmen, crew, and cinematographers. One of the most anticipated movies from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has reportedly hired one of the most prolific cinematographers of recent times.
Directed by Sam Raimi, the man who kickstarted the superhero movie genre with his universally acclaimed Spider-Man trilogy back in the 2000s, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has hired John Mathieson as its cinematographer. Before you start scratching your head trying to remember who this person is, his résumé will surely blow your mind.
John Mathieson has an impressive career which makes him one of the most sought after cinematographers, especially in comic-book movie lore. As one of the few cinematographers who rose in rank from music videos, John Mathieson received recognition for his ground-breaking work on ‘Peek-a-Boo’ by Siouxsie and the Banshees. Later, he collaborated with John Maybury for the hit song ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’. Having worked with Madonna, Prince, and Massive Attack for numerous music videos and television commercials, Mathieson soon became a popular figure.
His first major break came through Gladiator (2000) where he served as the cinematographer for the Academy Award-winning movie starring Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix. Despite losing his Academy Award for Best Cinematography to Peter Pau for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Mathieson won the prestigious BAFTA Award for Best Cinematography. As a frequent collaborator with Ridley Scott, John Mathieson was the chief cinematographer for Kingdom of Heaven, Hannibal, Matchstick Men, and Robinhood.
John Mathieson won his second Academy Award nomination for Joel Schumacher’s Phantom of the Opera in 2004. In later years, Mathieson soon became a popular name in the superhero movie genre for his exceptional work in Matthew Vaughn’s X-Men: First Class, which is widely considered to be one of the best X-Men movies of all time. In 2017, Mathieson collaborated with James Mangold for Logan, the critically acclaimed X-Men movie marking the end of Hugh Jackman as Wolverine and Sir Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier. John Mathieson has worked with Guy Ritchie for The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and Rob Letterman for Detective Pikachu.
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Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is one of the most important movies for the Marvel Cinematic Universe that will pave the path for the future of the gigantic universe. With Sam Raimi on board, Doctor Strange 2 has already been reported to have a lot of horror elements to it as Doctor Stephen Strange explores the vast multiverse. Also, a few theories of Doctor Strange founding the Illuminati have also surfaced, which makes the sequel much more vital for the MCU.
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Scott Derrickson, director of the first Doctor Strange movie stepped down from the sequel citing creative differences. However, he still serves as an Executive Producer for the movie. A widely popular director known for his horror movies, Scott Derrickson’s past experience combined with Sam Raimi’s unmatched vision and John Mathieson’s striking visuals can easily make Doctor Strange 2 a worthy contender for best visuals at the Oscars.
Benedict Cumberbatch will reprise his role as the Sorcerer Supreme in the upcoming sequel alongside Benedict Wong as Wong and Chiwetel Ejiofor as Karl Mordo. Elizabeth Olsen will also make her appearance as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch in Doctor Strange 2 which is reportedly connected to the upcoming WandaVision series on Disney+.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is scheduled to release on 25th March, 2022.
