Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.At this point, we all know that one of the most important parts of any Marvel Cinematic Universe film is the end credits, which often leaves the audience with a glimpse of what to expect with future films and TV shows, or a fun joke to end on. The 28th MCU film, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, is no different, featuring both a mid-credits scene, and an end-credits scene. So what can audiences expect to see once the madness is concluded?
The mid-credits scene shows Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) walking down a street in New York City, when a portal opens up that appears to lead to the dark dimension that held Dormammu in the 2016’s Doctor Strange. A woman dressed in purple (Charlize Theron) tells Strange that she needs her help in saving the universe again. Doctor Strange opens his third eye, and the pair jump into this new dimension, and likely into a new adventure that we’ll see in the future.
In the scene, Theron makes her first appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Clea, a character who is Dormammu’s niece, and is also a love interest for Strange. In the comics, Clea and Strange defeat Dormammu, and eventually, Clea and Strange get married. We last saw Dormammu in Doctor Strange, when Strange confused the being into submission at the end of that film. Meanwhile, it’s pretty convenient that Clea shows up after the love of Strange’s life in all the universes, Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams), gets married at the beginning of Multiverse of Madness. At the very end of the credits the film states that “Doctor Strange Will Return,” and after this mid-credits scene, it seems likely that when he returns, Clea will be by his side.
Since the release of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Theron has introduced the world to Clea via her Instagram. While Multiverse of Madness does say at the end of the credits that "Doctor Strange will return," and we can assume that Clea will likely be by his side when he does return, it's unclear when we might see these two traversing the multiverse together.
The scene at the very end of the credits is a goofy little joke for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness to end on. Earlier in the film, Strange has an altercation with a man in an alternate dimension who goes by the name of Pizza Poppa (played by Sam Raimi’s consistent cameo maker, Bruce Campbell), who confronts America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) after she steals a bowl of his street vendor pizza balls (exactly what they sound like). To stop Pizza Poppa, Strange casts a spell on the man, having his spray mustard in his own face, then leaving the man to hit himself repeatedly. As Strange and America walk away, Strange states that the spell will last three weeks.
In the film’s final scene, we see an exhausted Pizza Poppa continuing to hit himself, until finally, the spell wears off. Excitedly, Pizza Poppa looks at the camera and proclaims, “It’s over!” Hey, what a fitting way to end a film! And at least Multiverse of Madness ends with the film’s true hero, Pizza Poppa, and his own personal victory of not having to hit himself in the face anymore. Fingers crossed that Raimi directs another Doctor Strange film, if for no other reason than to let Pizza Poppa get the revenge he clearly deserves against Doctor Stephen Strange.
Read more about Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness:
Physician, Heal Thyself: How 'Multiverse of Madness' Confronts Doctor Strange's Hubris
The Women of ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Deserved Better
Donna Strange's Death Was Almost in the First 'Doctor Strange'
Justice for Pizza Poppa: ‘Doctor Strange 2’s Working Class Hero Reveals the Real Villain of the MCU
Where the Hell Is Vision in 'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness'?
'Doctor Strange 2': Who Is Clea and What Does She Mean for Doctor Strange's Future?
How ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Unravels What It Means to Be a Good Parent
