As has become a tradition in Disney's animated films, Strange World features different references and Easter eggs to the company's long cinematic legacy. The film stars Jake Gyllenhaal as Searcher, a young man forced into the explorer's lifestyle by his father, beloved adventurer Jaeger Clade (Dennis Quaid). Their paths diverge when Searcher, having found an energy source in the plant-like Pando, decides to stay in his town, prompting Jaeger to continue his expedition alone. Years later, Searcher, his wife, Meridian (Gabrielle Union), and their son, Ethan (Jaboukie Young-White), have to venture inside their world to fix a Pando crisis, a journey that reunites them with Jaeger.
Easter eggs are customary in projects from Walt Disney Animation Studios. Despite not existing in a cohesive universe, the company's films famously feature references to each other, such as Frozen, including cameos by Rapunzel and Flynn Rider and Nick Wilde's design from Zootopia appearing in Big Hero 6. Strange World continues that tradition. The film pays homage to different corners of Disney's history, referencing other projects and even a respected real-life figure at the company. Strange World's Disney nods can be subtle, making it arguably one of the studio's most challenging offerings to find references in.
Two Hidden Mickeys
Strange World adds to Disney's long history of hiding Mickeys in its projects. During the film's opening sequence, when Searcher and Jaeger are on the expedition that ultimately breaks them apart, Searcher comes across Pando. As he looks closely at the plant (at the 3:35 mark), three Pando pods on the left make up Mickey Mouse's head. Another Mickey in Strange World (which disappointed at the box office) appears at the 32:38 mark. Then, when Ethan is about to go into the cave, to his left, there is a blue, prickly-like plant made up of three circular shapes arranged in a way that makes them look like Mickey's head.
Strange World Appears To Feature Baymax's Charging Station
Though difficult to make out, Big Hero 6's Baymax seems to make a brief and hard-to-spot appearance in Strange World. Finally, at the 48:23 mark, Searcher goes to the Venture's lab. In the top left corner, a red container-like structure atop a piece of furniture. Its color and thin black lines seemingly point to it being Baymax's charging station from Big Hero 6 (which featured a Stan Lee cameo).
However, the machine's design doesn't match up entirely with the hero's station. The device is also never fully shown. Yet, Baymax's possible appearance in that shot may be backed up by Strange World co-director Qui Nguyen, who stated (via Murphy's Multiverse) that the film featured a Big Hero 6 character:
"There are quite a few hidden Easter eggs throughout the movie. I'm not gonna name the places, because that kind of spoils the fun of finding them, but there are references and there are actual, full-on characters from 'Big Hero 6,' 'Raya and the Last Dragon,' 'Atlantis'; there are definitely Hidden Mickeys. 'Winnie the Pooh,' even. So, it's out there for you to find and to hunt for, but it's in there."
Book From Atlantis: The Lost Empire
Arguably one of the biggest Easter eggs in Strange World is a reference to Atlantis: The Lost Empire. Released in 2001, the film follows Milo Thatch (Michael J. Fox), a young linguist who embarks on an expedition alongside a group of explorers to find Atlantis. Strange World's ending shot shows the film turning into a comic book. The comic rests on a desk, and an old brown book can be seen in the top right corner.
The cover features a big "A" engraved on it, and its title is written in the Atlantean language created for The Lost Empire. When translated, it reads, "Atlantis: The Lost Empire." Though somewhat unexpected, the Easter egg is understandable, as the 2D-animated film centers on a daring journey into a mysterious land, much like Strange World does.
Pando Batteries Are Very Similar To Monsters, Inc.'s Scream Canisters
The residents of Avalonia place their Pando pods inside batteries that power their machines. The batteries are similar in both look and concept to Pixar's Monsters, Inc.'s scream canisters, which store the children's screams that powered Monstropolis. Strange World's batteries even recharge in a somewhat similar fashion to their monster-universe counterparts. Aside from that, concept-wise, there is a deeper connection between the Pando batteries and Monsters, Inc. canisters, as both devices hold energy sources that greatly benefit people but are ultimately unsustainable.
Legend Is An Homage To A Disney Collaborator
Disney films typically feature cute animal companions for their main characters. In Strange World, that takes the form of Legend, Ethan's excitable dog. The character is a reference to a respected Disney figure in real life. According to co-director Don Hall (via What's On Disney Plus), longtime Disney storyboard artist and director Burny Mattinson (1967's The Jungle Book movie, The Aristocats) consistently tried to talk him into including a dog in Strange World.
Despite his initial hesitation, the director ultimately obliged but decided to name the dog after his nickname for Mattinson, "Legend," which stemmed from Mattinson becoming a Disney Legend in 2008 in the Animation category. Furthermore, Strange World's Legend was based on a dog breed known as Bernedoodle. According to Hall (via Looper), the movie's creatives used Mattinson's name to coin the term "Burny-doodle" for the dog's breed.
Strange World's Reference To Walt Disney's Movie Legacy
Strange World also features a subtle nod to its place in the impressive legacy of Walt Disney Studios, including its oldest animated movie had a 100% Fresh RT score. At the 57:39 mark, the Venture and its crew are attacked by a group of organisms. Searcher then takes out a Pando-pod container with two stickers and a white brand. The latter reads, "WDAS61 VEN." The word is an acronym for "Walt Disney Animation Studios 61," about the fact that Strange World is the company's 61st film. The "VEN" part appears to be short for the ship's name, "Venture."
Strange World May Have Called Back To A Tangled Line
Strange World seemingly quoted a line of dialogue from 2010's Tangled. Directed by Byron Howard and Nathan Greno, Disney's Tangled offered a different take on Rapunzel (Mandy Moore), showing her escaping her tower alongside her newfound companion, Flynn Rider (Zachary Levi), in search of adventure. Early in Strange World, Ethan looks for his father on a speeder. The vehicle's speed impresses him, prompting him to yell, "I gotta get me one of these!" Rider says a similar variation of the line in Tangled while fighting a group of soldiers using Rapunzel's pan.
After easily beating his sword-wielding opponents with the kitchen utensil's aid, Flynn exclaims, "Oh, mama! I have got to get me one of these!" It is worth noting, however, that the phrase is relatively popular in entertainment media (variations of it can be found in films like 1996's Independence Day, spoken by Will Smith, and Batman Begins, voiced by Gary Oldman, for example). As such, it may not necessarily be a direct reference to Tangled but a wider pop-culture nod.
Strange World's Credits Feature A Winnie The Pooh Character
Strange World's co-director, Don Hall (Big Hero 6, Raya and the Last Dragon), also co-directed 2011's Winnie the Pooh film. The animated movie features a creature known as The Backson, whom Pooh and his friends mistakenly believe kidnapped Christopher Robin. This character is included in the film's credits at the one-hour, 38-minute mark. The drawing of the Backson appears to be the same featured in the Winnie the Pooh movie, during a sequence that shows Owl explaining to his friends what a Backson is.
Strange World's Credits Have An Easter Egg For Disney's Wish Movie
Disney habitually plants Easter eggs for its upcoming features in the credits of its movies. Strange World was one of those subjects, as the Venture was featured in the credits of Encanto. So with that, it's fitting that Strange World continues the tradition. The closing moments of the film's credits feature the image of a star from Wish, one of Disney Animation's next movies after Strange World. The film, scheduled for release in 2023, explores the mythology of Disney's wishing star. The plot centers on a young woman named Asha (Ariana DeBose), who, after making an impassioned wish, is paired up with an actual star appropriately named Star.