Doctor Strange: 31 Easter Eggs & References You Must See

It would be foolish not to mention The Matrix at this point because of how closely the films are linked to Doctor Strange. In both cases there is a reluctant Chosen One, a mystical guide who educates him, a megalomaniac villain seeking more power for himself and a mostly ignorant general public unaware of the magic happening around them.

Kevin Feige even mentioned that the concept of magic in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is inspired by The Matrix as well as the work of Stanley Kubrick and Hayao Miyazaki:

"Have you watched the Cosmos series? That's magic, the quantum physics. If somebody knew how to tap into that stuff, what's the difference between that and magic? You don't get into it in Harry Potter, but if a scientist went to Hogwarts he'd find out how some of that stuff is happening! We're not going to spend a lot of time on it, but there will be some of that, particularly for a character like Doctor Strange, who goes from a man of science to a man of faith and who traverses both worlds. And sometimes there won't be an answer! Sometimes he'll want an answer - 'How is this happening?' - and nothing."

And there's no denying the spirit of Morpheus living on in The Ancient One sending Strange down the rabbit hole to prove to him the reality of his existence. The effects here are incredible to say the least...