People.com Entertainment Movies Sam Raimi On Directing 'Doctor Strange 2' After 'Awful' Reaction to 'Spider-Man 3' "I didn't know that I could face it again," said director Sam Raimi of his decision to return to the superhero genre with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness By Dan Heching Dan Heching Digital News Writer, PEOPLE People Editorial Guidelines Published on October 1, 2021 12:20 AM Share Tweet Pin Email Sam Raimi. Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Sam Raimi is opening up about his path back to the director's chair of a feature film after suffering some setbacks. The 61-year-old is perhaps best known for directing the original Spider-Man trilogy, starring Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst. While the first two films in that franchise –– 2002's Spider-Man and 2004's Spider-Man 2 –– were well regarded by fans and critics alike, 2007's Spider-Man 3 was considered by most to be a misstep. Sam Raimi Confirms He'll Direct Doctor Strange Sequel with a Spider-Man 2 Reference Raimi remembers the reception of that movie quite well, which is what initially made him hesitate before agreeing to direct a new superhero sequel –– Marvel's upcoming Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. "I didn't know that I could face it again because it was so awful, having been the director of Spider-Man 3," Raimi told Collider on Thursday. "The Internet was getting revved up and people disliked that movie and they sure let me know about it. So, it was difficult to take back on." Many fans took a particular dislike to Maguire as evil Peter Parker, walking down the street while infected by the Venom symbiote, which even saw him doing a disco dance on the sidewalk. Dr. Palmer Is Back! Rachel McAdams Is Set to Return for Doctor Strange Sequel: Report After Spider-Man 3, Raimi went on to direct Drag Me to Hell in 2009 and Oz the Great and Powerful in 2013 before stepping away from feature directing and concentrating on TV. "But then, I found out that there was an opening on Doctor Strange 2," Raimi continued on Thursday. "My agent called me and said, 'They're looking for a director at Marvel for this movie and your name came up. Would you be interested?' And I thought, 'I wonder if I could still do it.' They're really demanding, those types of pictures. And I felt, 'Well, that's reason enough.'" Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is the follow-up to 2016's Doctor Strange, and it will welcome back franchise stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Rachel McAdams and Chiwetel Ejiofor. RELATED VIDEO: WATCH: Rachel McAdams Introduces Marvel's 'Doctor Strange'-the Magic of STEM Contest Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free weekly newsletter to get the biggest news of the week delivered to your inbox every Friday. "I loved the first movie, I thought [director] Scott Derrickson did a wonderful job, an incredible job," Raimi added of the first film. "So, I said, 'Yeah.' They left the character in a great place. I didn't think I would be doing another superhero movie. It just happened." The new Doctor Strange film marks Raimi's first major film in nine years. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will hit theaters on March 25, 2022.