Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness Ending Explained (In Detail)

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Summary

Doctor Strange 2's ending sets up a new adventure with a mysterious sorcerer, Clea.
Wanda destroys the Darkhold temple but is presumed dead; America stays on Earth-616.
Doctor Strange gets the Third Eye, hinting at his return in future MCU projects.

The ending of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness seems to have big implications for the MCU, and here's every detail explained. Despite having been in the MCU since 2016, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is only the second solo outing for the sorcerer, who was gone for five years after Thanos dusted half the world’s population. The MCU sequel takes advantage of the multiverse, introducing America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez), a multiversal being with the ability to punch through any dimension.
The ending of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness closed out one story while setting up another one. America decides to stay at Kamar-Taj with Wong and everything else is more or less back to normal. However, with Wanda gone and the multiverse not under the threat of destruction for the time being, Doctor Strange 2's mid-credits scene sees him pulled into another adventure with a mysterious woman who knows exactly who he is. Here is the ending explained, including when Doctor Strange might return, why he gets the Third Eye, and what the Illuminati’s MCU future looks like.

Related Who Is Clea? Marvel Origin, Powers & Movie Future Explained Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness included a post-credits scene introducing Clea. We break down who her powers, Clea's MCU future & more. What Happens At The End Of Doctor Strange 2 Close Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness ends with Wanda Maximoff destroying the Darkhold temple and all the versions of the book across the multiverse so that no one will ever be able to use the spells again. It’s America Chavez who finally gets her to see what kind of damage she has done and will continue doing if she doesn’t stop—namely, by showing Wanda how her kids from another universe see her with fear. Realizing she doesn’t want to be the terror she sees on her kids’ faces, Scarlet Witch changes her mind and works to make things right.
Following Wanda’s downfall, Doctor Strange and Wong work to rebuild Kamar-Taj, training new apprentices. Wanda is dead, and America has yet to find her parents. Meanwhile, Doctor Strange is bestowed with the Third Eye after using the Darkhold to possess his own dead body from another universe.
The ending of the film is a victory for Doctor Strange, Wong, and America, each of whom did their part.
The ending of the film is a victory for Doctor Strange, Wong, and America, each of whom did their part in trying to stop the Scarlet Witch from taking advantage of the multiverse for personal means. However, that doesn’t mean that Doctor Strange traversing the multiverse hasn’t caused its own issues. His own dream-walking across the MCU multiverse has created an incursion, which destroys the balance in the multiverse and leads to worldly barriers colliding and annihilating entire universes. And that’s where the mysterious sorceress, Clea, comes in, taking Doctor Strange with her to fix what he messed up.
Why Doctor Strange Gets A Third Eye At The End Of Multiverse of Madness

Doctor Strange was desperate to stop Wanda and save America before her powers were taken. Like Sinister Strange before him, Doctor Strange develops the Third Eye at the end of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness because he used the Darkhold to reach across the multiverse to possess the dead body of another version of himself. The Darkhold is strong magic, and it can mess with a user’s mind, warping it or affecting it in some way.
It did this with Wanda and with Doctor Strange. However, Doctor Strange’s corruption wasn’t the same. The Third Eye is essentially the Eye of Agamotto, a talisman that is meant to show whoever wields it the truth. In the comics, the Eye of Agamotto is bestowed upon someone with pure intentions and a good heart. Considering Doctor Strange only used the Darkhold to stop Wanda from stealing America’s powers, his intentions were good, which explains why he wields the Third Eye. It could play a pivotal role in the upcoming Avengers 5 or 6.

Related What Is The Darkhold? WandaVision's Book Of The Damned Explained WandaVision introduced viewers to the Darkhold, described as "The Book of the Damned" - here's everything you need to know about it and what it means. Is Scarlet Witch Really Dead? Close When Scarlet Witch decided to destroy the Darkhold temple, she collapsed the entire infrastructure so there was nothing left. The slabs of rock toppled, with the entire temple falling on top of her, seemingly killing her. While it's hard to consider a character dead without seeing a body (and even that isn't always definitive), the Official MCU Timeline book does confirm her demise. Moreover, Olsen has spoken at length about being unsure of the character's future and not having any current contract in place to appear in an upcoming project.
Of course, it seems hard to believe that Wanda will end her MCU tenure as a villain. Given her deep ties to chaos magic, it seems easy enough for the MCU to find a way to bring her back. If not the main 616 Wanda, a variant could appear in a future project, too.

Related All 8 Upcoming MCU Movies & Shows Scarlet Witch Could Return In The MCU's Scarlet Witch appears to be dead, but there are plenty of Marvel movies and shows that could feature the return of Wanda Maximoff. Why America Chavez Stayed On Earth-616 (& Her MCU Future)

America Chavez decided to stay on Earth-616 at the end of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. While America is immensely powerful, she was only beginning to learn the extent of her abilities and how to control them. Staying behind at Kamar-Taj allows her time to train and hone her powers in a safe space. In many ways, America had found a home for herself on the MCU's Earth-616, likely joining Strange on a future adventure. Now that America has been introduced into the MCU, it’s possible she will show up again in another film or Disney+ series.
A solo film could see America go on another multiverse adventure, only this time, it will be in search of her moms, who disappeared into another universe (and is presumed dead). What’s more, America could join the Young Avengers now that they've been officially set up. She is a part of the Young Avengers in the comics, and it would make sense for her to join the team’s ranks in live-action. The MCU has yet to explore the full range of America Chavez's powers, let alone her backstory and world of origin, so the potential for her to appear in a future MCU project is high.
Clea Joins The MCU In The Post-Credits Close One of the biggest surprises of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness came during the mid-credits scene. Out of a portal popped Clea, a mysterious woman who sought Doctor Strange to help her fix an incursion he caused. He goes with her without thinking twice about it.
Clea’s addition to the MCU could be pivotal to the future of the shared universe and Doctor Strange’s story. In the comics, Clea is a sorceress who trained with Doctor Strange. She eventually goes on to become the Sorceress Supreme of the Dark Dimension and marries Doctor Strange. She’s incredibly powerful, with the ability to create illusions, teleport, and control people’s minds. Clea’s arrival in the MCU feeds directly into the wider exploration of the multiverse as well as setting up her relationship with Doctor Strange.

Related Doctor Strange 2's Clea Sets Up A Returning Villain Stronger Than Thanos Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness introduces Clea, but she is more than just an ally. Clea foreshadows the return of an old foe. When Will Doctor Strange Return? Doctor Strange 3 Or Avengers 5? Close At the end of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, it’s revealed that Doctor Strange will return. Time is ticking away toward the release of Avengers: The Kang Dynasty in 2026, so a third Doctor Strange solo movie may not happen until after that. However, Marvel Studios has a few reserved release dates with no attached movie, so it's possible Strange could appear again in one of those hitherto undefined slots.
Moreover, it's possible Strange could appear as a side character or cameo in another movie or TV show. Though he hasn't met Agatha Harkness, her show dealing with magic means Strange could briefly appear. The Ironheart TV show is also rumored to feature Mephisto (and is confirmed to portray the partially demonic Hood), which seems to be right up Strange's alley. Also, given his ties to the occult, Strange isn't out of the question for a brief Blade pop-in.
Will Doctor Strange Be More Of A Villain After The Darkhold?

Doctor Strange was warned against using the Darkhold because its influence can negatively affect people. He used it anyway in a bid to stop Wanda and, at least for a while, all seemed to be well. While Doctor Strange developed the Third Eye, he still seems to be his good-natured, well-intentioned self.

Related Every Type Of Magic In The MCU & Which Is Most Powerful Several different types of magic exist in the world of the MCU. Here's what they all are, and which one of them is considered the most powerful. However, it’s possible that shades of darkness will make themselves known when he returns. It’s unlikely he will go full Sinister Strange, considering What If…? already covered that territory and Doctor Strange 2 offered a glimpse of evil variant Sinister Strange as well. He may have used the Darkhold, but it wasn’t for as long a time as his multiverse counterpart. What’s more, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness already showcased the Scarlet Witch as a villain somewhat corrupted by the Darkhold, and it would be repetitive for the MCU to do the same again.
The Illuminati's MCU Future: Krasinski's Mister Fantastic, Captain Carter & More Close The Illuminati being introduced in the MCU is a big deal because the multiverse creates opportunities for these characters to reappear. The Illuminati’s members were killed off by Wanda, eradicating them on Earth-838. Only Karl Mordo managed to survive, with John Krasinski’s Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic) being turned into spaghetti, Captain Carter being sliced in half by her shield, and Professor Charles Xavier’s neck being snapped. The others — Captain Marvel and Inhumans leader Black Bolt — didn’t fare any better, with their deaths ringing heavy in the air.
Black Bolt’s mouth is removed and his mind gutted, while Captain Marvel is killed by a large statue falling on top of her. While the Illuminati is no more in that world, it doesn’t mean fans won’t ever see them again in the MCU. It’s possible future films will be more focused on alternate Earths, which will be able to bring back the Illuminati in some shape or form. Reed Richards and the rest of the MCU's Fantastic Four are confirmed for Marvel's Fantastic Four in 2025, and members of the X-Men may follow suit, given that the MCU's X-Men movie is in the works.
How The Doctor Strange 2 Post-Credits Scene Sets Up His Secret Wars Role Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness sets up the MCU’s future in a significant way. The film’s introduction of incursions — what happens when the boundaries of two universes collide and one is eventually annihilated — points to a cataclysmic event happening within the multiverse. Doctor Strange and Clea trying to fix incursions could lead them to get even worse, causing a multi-timeline catastrophe. Every time an incursion occurs, the lifespan of the multiverse shrinks, and saving the multiverse as a whole could be what brings every superhero back together again.
More specifically, Doctor Strange and Clea's new incursion-stopping mission is likely setting up Avengers: Secret Wars, which is set to cap off Phase 6 in May 2027. In this way, Doctor Strange will probably be the Avenger to warn all the others of the coming threat, much as Banner did in the Infinity Saga, and establish morally questionable solutions. Strange could even play a part in causing Secret Wars' central dilemma, as it was he who helped Dr. Doom create Battleworld in the Secret Wars comic run.
As Mr. Fantastic noted in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, "The greatest threat to the multiverse, it turns out, is Doctor Strange." Though there will doubtless be changes made to the source material, Strange essentially hands ultimate power to Doom in a decision that's not dissimilar to his surrender of the Time Stone to Thanos and his use of the Darkhold in the Doctor Strange sequel. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness explored this and set up several themes that Avengers: Secret Wars has ample opportunity to explore.

Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness PG-13 Where to Watch *Availability in US
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Director Sam Raimi Release Date May 6, 2022 Writers Michael Waldron Cast Elizabeth Olsen , Michael Stuhlbarg , Benedict Wong , Chiwetel Ejiofor , Xochitl Gomez , Benedict Cumberbatch , Rachel McAdams , Bruce Campbell , John Krasinski , Patrick Stewart , Hayley Atwell , Lashana Lynch , Anson Mount Runtime 126 minutes Want more Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness articles? Check out our essential content below...