Bruce Campbell and Sam Raimi have worked together for over 40 years, and the Michigan boys reunited for the new 'Doctor Strange' movie.
Campbell makes his obligatory Raimi cameo as Pizza Poppa in the most recent 'Doctor Strange' outing, and Campbell talked to Collider about how the cameo came about.
Pizza Poppa stole the show in his brief appearance, but Campbell was nervous he was going to be cut from the final product.
"A Marvel movie is always tricky if you're in them, because you never know if you're going to still be in them. Like if I was Benedict Cumberbatch, I'd be nervous that I was going to be cut out!"
By Campbell's own admission, the final idea of Pizza Poppa wasn't set in stone, even until they were shooting the scene.
Campbell said his role was always intended to be a street vendor of sorts, but the moniker of Pizza Poppa came about organically.
"It always changes with Sam, because whatever's on the written page doesn't really hold water when you actually go to shoot. Because he'll see it, and then he'll go "Okay. All right. Yeah, you're not gonna say that anymore. Let's just try that, say this." It's very fluid, which is great."
Campbell spoke highly of his old friend's directorial style, saying "it's a great way to work. Because some writers don't change a word. And some writers are really, really uptight. And some directors are nervous that they'll get yelled at if you want to fool around a little bit. Sam throws it all out the window when you show up to work."
Interviewer Perri Nemiroff asked Campbell if he came up with an elaborate back story for Pizza Poppa, and the 'Evil Dead' star replied in typical Bruce Campbell fashion.
"If you think he's just the pizza guy, you are so gravely mistaken. Okay? It's a character that's a special interloper. He's an interloper between universes. There was a reason why he delayed Doctor Strange for about 45 seconds, did he not? He delayed him. He did not go further down the street - I know for a fact he saved Doctor Strange's life for a reason."
"So he's put there for a reason and it's not because he's a pizza vendor," he joked.
For fans who want more Bruce Campbell goodness, the star is the host of a new documentary on Disney+ that documents the making of 'Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness', and is well worth checking out for fans of behind-the-scenes features and fans who enjoy Campbell's dry wit.