SPOILERS: DOCTOR STRANGE - 10 Awesome Easter Eggs You Might Have Missed
Whether you've already seen Doctor Strange or are still waiting for it to be released, we take a look at the ten biggest Easter Eggs and references you'll definitely want to keep your eyes peeled for.
Doctor Strange is arguably Marvel Studios' most inventive movie yet, but due to the fact that it's a fairly self contained origin story, it's not quite as heavy on Easter Eggs as some of their previous releases. There are however still plenty of very cool references and hints about what's to come in the future which are sure to get fans of the source material - and Marvel movies in general - very excited.
Some are easier to spot than others, but they all either pay homage to the Sorcerer Supreme's comic book history, explain how this movie ties into the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe, or even tease what's next for him on the big screen. Needless to say, potentially major spoilers for Doctor Strange do indeed follow, but keep reading if you want to know what exactly to keep your eyes peeled for...
10. The Yellow Gloves
Doctor Strange hasn't worn gloves in the comic books for a while now, but they were a staple of his appearance for decades. In the movie's mid-credits scene (which we'll talk more about here a little later), the hero can be seen wearing his yellow gloves, and those will hopefully be a staple of his costume moving forward. It's been confirmed that Taika Waititi directed this scene, so it could be that he wanted to include them, but it would be a shame if they were to disappear by the time Avengers: Infinity War rolls around!
Ultimately, a pair of gloves is a pretty minor thing, but for fans of the source material, additions like this are really cool. As with all of these Marvel characters, Strange will no doubt get an upgraded look by the next time we see him, but expect the gloves to return in Thor: Ragnarok anyway!
9. The Living Tribunal
When Mordo picks a weapon to battle Strange with as the two train, he mentions that he has the staff of The Living Tribunal. Comic book fans will know that he's the is the Judge of the Marvel Multiverse and the arbitrator of cosmic justice. The character also played a key role in the events of The Infinity Gauntlet, so chances are that this could be a hint we'll see the powerful being make his presence felt in Avengers: Infinity War.
Either way, the only mention of a staff in the source material is the Staff of Polar Power, a weapon The Living Tribunal destroyed after crossing paths with Strange as the two battled a villain called Nebulos. This may or may not be that, but Marvel continues to tease a larger cosmic presence in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and this is one of their biggest, and potentially most exciting, hints yet.
8. War Machine
Moments before the fateful car crash which will forever change the life of Stephen Strange, the arrogant neurosurgeon can be seen turning down various patients who are offered to him over the phone because they're either not interesting enough or won't bring him the sort of notoriety he's grown used to. Listen closely though and you may notice that one of these is Colonel James Rhodes, a.k.a. War Machine.
His name is never mentioned, but the doctor's secretary mentions that the man she's talking about suffered a serious spinal injury while inside an armoured suit, and that's obviously a reference to the events of Captain America: Civil War. There's been some speculation that this was actually a nod to one of the soldiers injured by Justin Hammer's experiments in Iron Man 2, but given Doctor Strange's unclear timeline, it's hard to say for sure.
7. Daniel Drumm
In Doctor Strange, there are three Sanctum Sanctorums spread across the globe which are used to protect the Earth. Located in New York, Hong Kong, and London, the master of the one in the Big Apple is Daniel Drumm, a character who factored into the prequel comic book but who we weren't sure would show up in the movie. His role ends up being a relatively minor one as he's taken out in short order by Kaecilius and his Zealots.
As comic book fans will know, Daniel is the brother of Jericho, a hero better known as Brother Voodoo. Daniel meanwhile would return as a ghost before revealing his villainous nature, and that's definitely something a Doctor Strange sequel could delve into at some point. Drumm's death wasn't really memorable enough for his return to make that much of an impact though.
6. The Runaways
In a Doctor Strange prequel comic book, it's revealed that one of Kaecilius's Zealots is Tina Minoru. She's played by Linda Louise Duan in the movie, but never speaks and ultimately has a very minor role. In fact, the villain's followers so easily blend into the background that I'm honestly not sure whether she's the one who was left trapped in the desert by Strange or sucked up into the Dark Dimension alongside her leader at the end.
Either way, she wields a weapon in the movie which looks a whole lot like the Staff Of One, something her daughter - Nico - ends up using while serving as a member of The Runaways. Hulu recently ordered a TV series based on that property, so it will be interesting to see whether or not her mother's fate in Doctor Strange is referenced in any way there. If nothing else, her evil nature probably will be!
5. Stan Lee's Cameo
Stan "The Man" Lee's cameos have obviously become a staple of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and while Doctor Strange's isn't really one of his most memorable appearances, it's still a lot of fun (and surprisingly easy to miss). During the mind-bending chase through New York which sees Kaecilius and his Zealots attempting to take down Strange and Mordo, the duo wind up falling on to a bus - while in the mirror dimension - which Lee is sitting in reading Aldous Huxley's The Doors of Perception.
In a perfect bit of timing, the comic book creator suddenly exclaims, "Now, that's hilarious!" just as they hit the window! As his cameos go, it's one of the shorter ones, but if you let yourself get too caught up in Doctor Strange's amazing visuals, you may find that you'll inadvertently miss it.
4. The Time Stone
The Eye of Agamotto has the power to manipulate time, and allows Doctor Strange to both create time loops and even reverse it so he can save the lives of everyone in Hong Kong after Kaecilius opens up a portal to the Dark Dimension. Many fans suspected that the Eye would be revealed as the Time Stone, and that happens in the final few moments of the movie when Wong casually mentions that it's one of the Infinity Stones.
The hero's mentor also points out that Earth is going to come under fire from new magical and cosmic threats now there's no longer a Sorcerer Supreme, and Thanos will no doubt be among them! While Wong also says that Strange can train to gain mastery over the Time Stone, chances are we should probably expect to see him lose it to the Mad Titan fairly quickly in Avengers: Infinity War.
3. Avengers Tower
For some reason, Avengers Tower is never spotlighted when we see New York City's skyline in shows like Daredevil and Jessica Jones, but it can be seen a number of times in Doctor Strange. Again, the timeline of the movie is a little hard to follow, as it's never made explicitly clear how long the Sorcerer Supreme in training spends with The Ancient One before returning to New York City.
Aside from Avengers Tower, we don't really get any further mentions of Earth's Mightiest Heroes other than what's already been in the TV spots and trailers. The Chitauri Invasion and Sokovia Accords are never mentioned, though given the fact that Strange is away and likely unaware of what's going on in the wider world, perhaps that shouldn't come as too much of a surprise. Still, that's not to say his wider role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe isn't still teased in a big way...
2. Thor: Ragnarok
Doctor Strange's mid-credits scene may very well be the best yet. Set photos from Thor: Ragnarok pointed to the God of Thunder seeking out the Sorcerer Supreme for his help in finding Odin (who has been banished to Earth by Loki), but thanks to this sequence, we now know that the hero will definitely play a role in that movie.
The humour here is excellent - and may give us a taste of what to expect from Taika Waititi's movie - as is the fact that Strange seems keen on sending Thor and his brother back to Asgard as soon as possible. This is obviously also our first taste of Doctor Strange meeting an Avenger, and that alone is extremely exciting. Just how significant a role the Sorcerer Supreme will play in Thor: Ragnarok remains to be seen, but this scene could have major ramifications for the Marvel Cinematic Universe moving forward.
1. Benedict Cumberbatch's Surprise Second Role
This was done to make Dormammu a reflection of everything that's perhaps not so pure about Strange's personality, and it will be interesting to see if this is easier to pick up on during repeat viewings. Cumberbatch is obviously no stranger to this sort of work following his role as the iconic dragon Smaug in The Hobbit franchise, but it's a pretty damn cool Easter Egg regardless.
Did you spot all of these Easter Eggs in Doctor Strange? Have we missed any other good ones? As always, be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.