Jamie Lee Curtis has berated Marvel’s new film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, comparing it unfavourably with her new movie Everything Everywhere All at Once while conceding she has blown her chances of getting a role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
In a string of posts on social media, Curtis, star of Halloween, claimed Everything Everywhere All at Once “out marvels any Marvel movie they put out there” and even suggested Doctor Strange had used a “copycat” poster. She added: “Is this one of those internet feuds? All I’ll say is we would SLAY in a family feud contest … with the Doctor Strange strangers.”
Curtis’ Instagram posts appear to have been sparked by Everything Everywhere All at Once’s exceptional box office performance, including reaching the number one position for a single day’s takings in the US, recording over $700,000 on 4 May, nearly six weeks after its release. In one of her posts, Curtis wrote: “How is it POSSIBLE, that in week six, SIX, that our little MOVIE THAT COULD AND CAN AND IS CRUSHING the box office … This little miracle of a movie is proving that art will out and that creativity and independent cinema is very much ALIVE and KICKING.” Doctor Strange was released on 5 May and recorded an estimated $36m on its opening day.
Curtis adds: “COMPETITIVE? Fuck YES. I wasn’t head cheerleader in high school for nothing” and concludes one post with the hashtag: #guessiwillneverbecastinamarvelmovie.
Both films contain plot elements relating to a “multiverse”, or parallel universes, but while the Marvel movie is a sequel to the blockbuster 2016 Doctor Strange starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Everything Everywhere All at Once stars Michelle Yeoh as a Chinese-American woman being audited by the US tax service. Curtis has also commented unfavourably on the relative size of Doctor Strange’s budget, writing: “[Everything Everywhere All at Once] COST LESS than the ENTIRE craft service budget on Doctor Strange and/or any other Marvel movie.” Everything Everywhere All at Once’s budget is reported at around $25m, with Doctor Strange’s reported at $200m.
