Doctor Strangehas finally landed on digital platforms and the Blu-ray is set for release in a couple of weeks.Director Scott Derricksonprovided a commentary track forDoctor Strangeand those can often reveal fun little tidbits about the movie that weren’t previously known. In this case, it was revealed thatDoctor StrangeandAnt-Manshare a connection.
During the commentary track forDoctor Strange, as reported byComic Book Resources,Scott Derricksonconfirmed that, during the psychedelic sequence that occurred when The Ancient One opened up Stephen Strange’s mind, theQuantum Realmdoes appear, which was first seen inAnt-Man. Here is whatScott Derricksonhad to say about it.
“This image here is obviously a nod toAnt-Manand the Quantum Realm, acknowledging that as one of the mysterious realms of existence.”
It was long suggested by Marvel Cinematic Universe fans that we did get a glimpse of the Quantum Realm during the psychedelic sequence inDoctor Strange, but now this absolutely confirms it. The Quantum Realm was first revealed inAnt-Manwhen Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) shrinks himself to a subatomic level to defeat Darren Cross. The realm is described by Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) as an inescapable, subatomic realm “where all concepts of time and space are irrelevant.” Hank Pym also noted inAnt-Manthat Janet Van Dyne, his wife and the original Wasp, was lost in the Quantum Realm when she shrunk too small while the two were on a mission together. Really attuneDoctor Strangefans may have even been expecting there to be a bit of an Easter egg forDoctor Strangeduring the Quantum realm sequence inAnt-Man, and now in hindsight, it sort of serves that purpose.
“Marvel’s Doctor Strange follows the story of the talented neurosurgeonDoctor Stephen Strangewho, after a tragic car accident, must put ego aside and learn the secrets of a hidden world of mysticism and alternate dimensions. Based in New York City’s Greenwich Village, Doctor Strange must act as an intermediary between the real world and what lies beyond, utilizing a vast array of metaphysical abilities and artifacts to protect the Marvel Cinematic Universe.”
Prior to the release ofDoctor Strange, many casual Marvel fans were unfamiliar with the character, but the movie was a big hit and now Stephen Strange is a very embraced part of the MCU. That is good, because bringing the concept of magic and the multi-verse into the MCU opens up a lot of possibilities for the future. It is interesting that, even prior to the release ofDoctor Strange, Marvel was able to tease this multi-verse idea inAnt-Man.
Even before directorScott Derricksonconfirmed this connection,Ant-ManandDoctor Strangedid share some connections. Both characters were testing the limits of what audiences would be able to accept, in terms of pretty out there and crazy comic book heroes being brought to the big screen. Both were also very successful, with embrace from both critics and fans. However,Doctor Strangecame out on top at the box office, bringing in a total of $673 million, which far surpassed expectations.Doctor Strangeis out on digital platforms now, with the Blu-ray/DVD set for release on February 28. And it is expected thatAnt-Man and Waspwill revisit the Quantum Realm as the heroes set out to find Janet Van Dyne.
