All The Doctor Strange Easter Eggs We Spotted
Doctor Strange is now in theaters, and it is chock full of Easter Eggs. With cameos, artifacts [...]
Avengers Tower
As teased in the intro image, yes, Avengers Tower appears in the skyline of New York.
And more than once.
Interestingly, it's already full-on Avengers Tower at the very start of the movie, when Doctor Stephen Strange is nought but an accomplished surgeon.
What does that mean for the film's timeline? Well, it has to be at least post-Avengers 1 at the start of the movie. The mid-credits scene, however, takes place during next year's November release, Thor: Ragnarok, but it's clear some time has passed from the climactic battle to the mid-credits.
The Butterfly Effect
At the start of Strange's first crazy and mind-bending trip through the multiverse, he gets rocketed out into space, and starts to freak out a bit, naturally.
Suddenly, he sees a butterfly, clear as day, flying around in space (reality alert: they can't do that). He touches it, and gets rocketed back on a high-speed journey through time, space, and probably some places inbetween.
It was a nice, literal interpretation of the Butterfly Effect, that one tiny decision can change everything going forward; the theory is that a butterfly flapping its wings on the East Coast of the US changes the wind currents, and as it builds, leads to a tsunami in Japan. The little touch of a butterfly is indeed Stephen Strange's first step to accepting the larger world around him, leading to his eventual mastery of the mystic arts.
A Familiar Explanation of Magic
When magic was first introduced to the Marvel Cinematic Universe by Thor, it was explained as "science you just don't understand yet."
Well, despite Doctor Strange going much deeper than simple illusions or transformations, they did stay true to that explanation. The Ancient One is explaining it to Strange as they start to learn, and she says:
"Spells - but if that offends your sensibilities, you can call them programs."
She explains them as programs that run the code of the universe (and even the multiverse), letting the MCU get its version of magic fully established, and building off the earlier introduction.
Some Light Reading
There are several books shown, and a few named - with some very recognizable names for fans of comics and magic.
The named books include the Book of Invisible Sun, the Code Imperial, the Key of Solomon, Maxim's Primer, and the Book of Cagliostro. The Key of Solomon is a real-life book that's attributed to the biblical King Solomon. Maxim refers to Maxim Horvath, the sorcerer who studied under Merlin and is the titular sorcerer of "Sorcerer's Apprentice."
The Book of Cagliostro, of course, is important to the plot of the story, and deals with the manipulation of time - that's taken directly out of the pages of Marvel Comics. In the comics when that book appeared, it was used by Baron Mordo, trying to defeat the Ancient One - yup, sounds like Scott Derrickson and company did some reading!
The Named Artifacts
About 50 magical artifacts were seen in the film, and several were named.
The Staff of the Living Tribunal, wielded by Mordo, references a cosmic entity from the Marvel Universe.
He also uses the Vaulting Boots of Valtorr - while that's not in the comics, the Verdant Vial of Valtorr is, so the source of magic is still from the comics.
The Cloak of Levitation, of course is Dr. Strange's signature look, and chooses him in the film. Finally, the Wand of Watoomb (pictured below) is Wong's weapon that helps him channel magic. Here's hoping for a mention of Hoggoth, Cyttorak, or other Vishanti in future films!
Agamotto, Father of the Mystic Arts
Agamotto, as in "Eye of Agamotto," the container of the Time Infinity Stone, is referred to as the "father of the mystic arts" in the film. Agamotto is listed as the father of the mystic arts in the comics, too, but he's not exactly revered, especially after his astral form went crazy and started possessing Avengers. it was a whole thing.
177A Bleecker Street
177A Bleecker Street is listed as the address of the NYC Sanctum Sanctorum in the movie, and that's right out of the comics. No gorgeous mansion exists there in the real New York, though - but there is a nice bodega.
Daniel Drumm
Daniel Drumm is in the film for a short time (having appeared in the prequel comic), sadly, as the protector of the NYC Sanctum. He gets killed pretty quickly, but fans of the Drumm family shouldn't get too upset - Daniel's death inspires his brother Jericho to pick up the mystic arts, as "Brother Voodoo." Jericho even took over as Sorcerer Supreme for a time, as well. Tina Minoru makes it in the film for one very quick scene - her fight scene from the trailer hit the cutting room floor, sadly.
Stan Lee - Reading Aldous Huxley
Stan "The Man" Lee, one of the fathers of the silver age of comics alongside such talented artists as John Romita, Jack Kirby, and in the case of Doctor Strange, Steve Ditko, made his fun cameo in Doctor Strange, and it had an Easter Egg of its own within it. Lee appears riding on a bus that gets slammed into by Strange and Mordo - but they're in the Mirror Dimension at the time, so Lee and the other bus patrons can't perceive it. What's he reading? Why, "Doors of Perception" by Aldous Huxley, a series of essays about his experiments with psychotropic drugs to open his mind to a higher plane of existence; basically exactly what Strange goes through in the film. Nice one, Derrickson.
There's The Roxxon Building Again
The Roxxon Building - or one of them, anyway, makes an appearance during the crazy world-bending fight scene. This is a repeat of one of the first ever Marvel Cinematic Universe Easter Eggs, as the fictional corporation made an appearance in the first Iron Man film, the movie that made the MCU possible.
The Classic Finger Signs!
Finally, at the very end of the film, we see Doctor Strange focus his magic, and use his hands properly for the first time since his accident, by adopting a familiar postioning of the fingers. It's a classic look in his spell casting in the comic books, and it was a great payoff to his journey in getting to relearn how to use his hands, and his sense of wanting to heal the world, throughout the film.
