As far as April Fool’s Day jokes are concerned, Bruce Campbell might have won 2021 by “leaking” a page from the script for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Despite the script page featuring a watermark that states “Confidential” and “Do Not Reproduce,” somehow, the page has leaked onto Campbell’s Twitter page.
The single page has Doctor Strange appearing in a mist-covered woods, where he finds a cabin with a porch swing. Strange hears the sound of a chainsaw, then sees a character called “Disheveled Man,” who has a chainsaw where his right hand should be, as he leaves the cabin. Strange tells the man that he is looking for the Darkhold, which he describes as “an ancient book of magic, a grimoire of darkness and evil.” The man asks, “Does it have a face on the cover?” to which Strange replies “um… no…”
This “leak” from Campbell is obviously a fun nod to Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead franchise, in which Campbell played the lead character, Ash Williams. Raimi is also directing Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and Raimi is notorious for giving Campbell a cameo in his films. While Campbell is reportedly appearing in the new Doctor Strange, the fact that this was revealed on April 1 means this is unfortunately probably just a clever gag.
But with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness likely sending Strange into all sorts of crazy adventures, why not throw him into the world of Evil Dead? Ash has already appeared in the Marvel Zombies vs. The Army of Darkness comic series, so it’s not entirely outside the realm of possibility. Sure, Marvel might not want to make a quick reference to an R-rated cult horror franchise in their family-friendly Marvel Cinematic Universe film, but if Captain Marvel can make a Mallrats reference, anything is theoretically possible.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness comes to theaters on March 25, 2022, with or without Ash. Check out Campbell’s tweet below: