End-credits scenes in 'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' explained

The film offers two additional scenes at the end, with laughs and a hint of what's to come

Benedict Cumberbatch as Stephen Strange in a scene from 'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.' AP

For fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, end-credits scenes have become almost as big as the film itself. And the same goes for the MCU’s latest movie, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which was released in cinemas on Thursday.

The latest Doctor Strange instalment features both a mid-credits and post-credits scene, offering a glimpse at what fans can expect from the MCU in the future.

Warning: spoilers ahead

In the scene that plays out mid-credits, Doctor Strange is walking down a street in New York City when a portal opens up that leads to the dark dimension that held Dormammu in the first Doctor Strange film released in 2016. A woman (Charlize Theron) then appears and then tells Strange that her universe needs his help once again. Strange jumps into the dimension with her, suggesting the pair will feature together in a later film.

The scene is Theron’s first appearance in the MCU. She has been cast to play Clea, the niece of Dormammu and a potential love interest for Strange. While in the previous films in the franchise we have seen him in love with Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams), her character marries at the start of this latest instalment, leaving room for a new love interest for the character.

In the comic books, Strange and Clea eventually marry, after defeating Dormammu together, so we expect future films to head in a similar direction. Especially considering at the end of this scene, the words “Doctor Strange will return” appear on screen.

The final end-credits scene is more of a light-hearted moment, as opposed to offering any insight into the future of Doctor Strange’s character.

In the film, Strange has an altercation with a character called Pizza Poppa (Bruce Campbell), while in an alternate universe. The disagreement came after America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) steals pizza balls from Pizza Poppa’s vendor, and Doctor Strange steps in to stop him confronting her, by putting a spell on him, which leads him to spray mustard on his own face and punch himself repeatedly. As the pair leave, Strange tells Chavez the spell will last three weeks.

In the end-credits scene, we return to an exhausted Pizza Poppa, who is still punching himself in the face. Finally, as the spell starts to wear off, Pizza Poppa looks into the camera and, fittingly says, "It’s over”.