9 Easter Eggs You Need To Look Out For In Doctor Strange

8) The Oath

Back when Doctor Strange was filming in New York, director Scott Derrickson shared a photo of Benedict Cumberbatch with a copy of The Oath graphic novel, bought from a local comic book shop. Was this a random pic, fans wondered, or a hint that that the comic would be an influence on the film? As it turns out, the answer is the latter.

The Oath, a fan favourite story from Brian K. Vaughn (him again) and Marcos Martin that was published in 2007, clearly inspired the movie in several ways. In a general stylistic sense, its treatment of the central character is closer to Vaughn’s than the classic Stan Lee comics (though it does reference those, too).

More specifically, though, one scene is lifted wholesale from the comic and put on screen. When Stephen Strange is badly wounded, his spirit leaves his body and advises Christine on how best to operate. In The Oath, this scene plays out pretty much the same. The only difference is its Linda Carter’s version of Night Nurse who’s operating on Strange, rather than Christine Palmer.