Entertainment Movies Dr. Palmer Is Back! Rachel McAdams Is Set to Return for 'Doctor Strange' Sequel: Report Director Sam Raimi revealed earlier this year that he would be taking the reins for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, out March 25, 2022 By Jen Juneau Jen Juneau Jen Juneau is a News and Movies Staff Writer at PEOPLE. She started at the brand in 2016 and has more than 15 years' professional writing experience. People Editorial Guidelines Published on December 10, 2020 03:37PM EST Rachel McAdams. Photo: Dave J Hogan/Dave J Hogan/Getty Images Paging Dr. Palmer! Rachel McAdams is set to reprise her role as Dr. Christine Palmer in the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe sequel Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Deadline reports. McAdams, 42, first appeared as the character onscreen in 2016's Doctor Strange alongside Benedict Cumberbatch in the title role, playing his fellow surgeon and (complicated) love interest. This will be the first film McAdams is revealed to sign on for since Netflix's musical comedy Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, which she appeared in with Will Ferrell earlier this year. While the first Doctor Strange film was directed by Scott Derrickson, Sam Raimi revealed earlier this year that he would be taking the reins for the sequel — a marked return to the Marvel film universe after his work the original Spider-Man trilogy, starring Tobey Maguire. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Benedict Cumberbatch and Rachel McAdams in Doctor Strange. Rachel McAdams on Bringing Her Son, 2, to Movie Set for the First Time: "I Felt Really Lucky" The director casually confirmed the exciting news in April, referencing a scene from his own Spider-Man 2 where a line seemingly spelled out Raimi's interest in Doctor Strange. In the 2004 movie, Daily Bugle newspaper Editor-in-Chief J. Jonah Jameson (J.K. Simmons) is seen workshopping villainous names for Spider-Man's nemesis, Dr. Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina). When one of his assistants suggests "Doctor Strange," Jameson quips that the name is already "taken." "When we had that moment in Spider-Man 2, I had no idea that we would ever be making a Doctor Strange movie," Raimi, 61, admitted in an interview with Coming Soon. "It was really funny to me that coincidentally that line was in the movie," he added. "I wish we had the foresight to know that I was going to be involved in the project." Sam Raimi. Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty RELATED VIDEO: Rachel McAdams Looks Marvel-ous in Atelier Versace at Doctor Strange Premiere in L.A. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness comes four years after Cumberbatch, 44, first played the mystical man in the movie helmed by Derrickson, 54. Earlier this year, the director announced that he'd decided to "part ways on Doctor Strange: In the Multiverse of Madness," citing "creative differences" while working with Marvel. "I've worked with Sam Raimi. One of the nicest people I've known in the film business, and as a director, a true living legend," Derrickson tweeted. "What a great choice to take over Doctor Strange." Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness — also reportedly starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Wong and Elizabeth Olsen — is set to hit theaters on March 25, 2022.