Scott Derrickson’s Doctor Strange was not just any run-of-the-mill superhero origin story. It was full of surprises and clever details almost every Marvel fan missed.
The Movie Is Inspired By Fantasia And The Matrix
Doctor Strange may be a well-known character in Marvel Comics. But in the film industry, the movie still ended up using other original movies as inspiration. The psychedelic scenes in the movie, such as the mirror dimension scenes, were inspired by the Disney animated feature Fantasia. This was confirmed by Ben Davis, the movie’s Director of Photography. Kevin Feige explained that the action in Doctor Strange draws inspiration from The Matrix and Hayao Miyazaki’s movies.
The Mind-Bending Scenes Are Scientifically Accurate
The movie employed an actual astrophysicist as a consultant in Doctor Strange. the scenes where Doctor Strange experiences changes ion space-time were developed after the help of Adam Frank, a renowned astrophysicist who personally saw to it that the scenes depicted Strange’s body reacting to the changes the way an actual human body would in a real life scenario. The mathematical works and sketches of M.C Escher were used to depict the reality bending city warping sequences.
Doctor Strange’s Sister was Supposed To Appear
The real reason Doctor Stephen Strange entered the medical field was to save his sister donna. Donna was going through a terrible sickness at the time and all Stephen wanted to do was cure her using his medical skills. Actress Lulu Wilson had also been roped in to play Donna Strange. But when the movie went into post-production, the scenes involving Lulu Wilson’s Donna were cut. The fans never realized the exact reason why Doctor Strange became a doctor in the first place. Now that the scenes are permanently edited out, some may never will.
The Dormammu Time Loop Was Hinted At Pretty Early In The Movie
Doctor Strange’s climactic battle with the Dark Lord Dormammu ended with a never-ending time loop that kept on going until the enemy relented. It was the Time stone that brought the entity back to the negotiating tables. But hints of such a tactic being used by Strange in the movie were dispersed throughout the movie. Just before Stephen Strange meets with a terrible car accident at the beginning of the movie, his watch reads February 2nd. February 2nd is Groundhog Day and the name of a cult-classic movie involving a time loop.
Marvel’s “Drive Safely” Message
Doctor Strange‘s car accident happened because of he was drinking and driving. That is never fun, both for the driver and innocent bystanders. Driving under the influence of alcohol is not cool. And Marvel did not want fans to start imitating Doctor Strange’s mishap. So they put up a Drive Responsibly message when the credits rolled.
The Real Reason Why Doctor Strange’s Beard Is Shaped Uneven
Since the accident, Doctor Strange has lost motor functions in his hands. They are not as steady as they used to be. As a result, he had to let go of his profession. His unstable hands are the reason ha cannot shave properly. He tries his best to give himself a French beard but the unevenness of the beard gives it away. That is a very nifty little detail almost everybody missed.
Kaecilius’ Desert Entry
When Kaecilius and his zealots attack Baron Mordo and Doctor Strange, one of his accomplices gets into a tussle with the latter. Strange uses his sling ring to open a portal into a desert where he traps his enemy. We think that would be the end of him. But when Kaecilius eventually makes a return, he is seen coming back from the desert. He does not leave his ally behind. They may be called zealots but they do understand brotherhood and camaraderie.
The Wi-Fi Password is “Shamballa”
The password was not a fluke. The wi-fi password is in reference to a classic Doctor Strange comic book arc – Into Shamballa. In this classic comic book series, Doctor strange returns to the Himalayas in Tibet after the Ancient One passes away. In his journey, he is given new insights into the realm of the Sorcerer Supreme. The movie was hinting at the Ancient One’s demise, which did happen halfway into the film.
Doctor Strange Was Allowed Into Kamar Taj Only After He Lost All His Belongings
The path to Kamar Taj means letting go of all earthly possessions and connections. Only then you could understand magic and the discipline of Kamar Taj. Doctor Strange was a very materialistic person. He valued the things he had earned for himself as a genius medical practitioner. So he had trouble letting go of his ‘accomplishments’. But the path to Kamar Taj involved letting go of those possessions. Right before Baron Mordo shows him the way into Kamar Taj, Doctor Strange loses the final possession from his past life – his pocket watch is broken and irreparable.
The Ancient One is Hiding Her Head For a Reason.
When the Ancient One is pursuing the Zealots in the beginning of the movie, she is shown wearing a yellow hood that covers most of her face. That is because she is drawing energy from Dormammu. Using the Dark Lord’s powers would mean a mark would appear on her forehead just like it does on Kaecilius and the rest. She was hiding the fact that she was channeling power directly from the Dark Dimension, which is the greatest form of hypocrisy since she was persecuting people other than her who were doing the same.
The Stan Lee Cameo Was Extra Special
The Stan Lee Cameo shows Stan ‘The Man’ Lee reading a book inside the train. The book is called “The Doors Of Perception”. It was written by Aldous Huxley. The book details Huxley’s psychedelic experiences in 1953 when he used Mescaline, a hallucinogenic compound. The book was deliberate. It appears right when Mordo and Strange bump into the train window, the other side of which shows Stan Lee enjoying the hell out of the book.
Doctor Strange’s Collection Of Watches Was Essentially Incredible Foreshadowing
In the movie, Stephen Strange is shown to have a very impressive collection of watches. That was no coincidence. The movie would use the concept of time and its manipulation later on. The watches were supposed to let the audiences know just how important time is about to be as a plot element in Doctor Strange.
