Doctor Strange told the story of one of Marvel’s most unique superheroes, and the film’s distinctive premise helped it stand out when it first hit theaters. Director Scott Derrickson’s stunning visuals and Benedict Cumberbatch’s charismatic lead performance as Dr. Stephen Strange has left the superhero in surprisingly high demand in the wake of Doctor Strange’s success.
Cumberbatch is reprising his role as the Sorcerer Supreme in the upcoming Thor: Ragnarok and The Avengers: Infinity War as part of Phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But rumors had swirled about a scene in Doctor Strange that referenced a possible connection with Ant-Man. Derrickson recently revealed that the rumors were true.
Derrickson [h/t CBR] confirmed the Quantum Realm is indeed the same dimension that is featured in Doctor Strange. In a scene when The Ancient One (Tilda Swinton) takes over Stephen Strange’s mind and shows him a number of different dimensions, the Quantum Realm briefly appears. During the director’s commentary for Doctor Strange’s upcoming home release, he said when the scene came up that the film was deliberately referencing Ant-Man and the Quantum Realm.
“This image here is obviously a nod to Ant-Man and the Quantum Realm, acknowledging that as one of the mysterious realms of existence.”
Paul Rudd enters the Quantum Realm in the original Ant-Man and can barely escape the dangerous subatomic dimension. The Ancient One has no trouble sending Stephen Strange hurtling in and out of it as part of his brief cosmic journey into other dimensions. Ant-Man was able to handle the Quantum Realm on his own in the original, but it’s possible that he needs Doctor Strange’s help in Ant-Man & The Wasp.
It makes perfect sense for the worlds of Doctor Strange and Ant-Man to be at least somewhat intertwined. The Sorcerer Supreme’s powers and abilities could prove quite useful for journeys into the Quantum Realm, much like he will be able to help Thor between multiple worlds in Thor: Ragnarok. The now-obvious connections between Doctor Strange and Ant-Man only continue to deepen the bonds between characters within the MCU as it evolves toward the end of Phase 3.
There’s still a chance that Marvel is risking over-saturation of the Doctor Strange character by having him appear in so many different upcoming MCU films. The character is already expected in Thor: Ragnarok and the next Avengers film, and it appears that Ant-Man & The Wasp might be added to the list. But the Sorcerer Supreme produced one of Marvel’s most successful origin stories and Doctor Strange's popularity has no signs of fizzling out anytime soon.
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Source: Scott Derrickson [via CBR]
