Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is out in cinemas worldwide, providing some of the most unexpected scenes in any MCU film yet created. The horror vibes and mystical advancements came out in full force, from unveiling the MCU’s version of the Illuminati to introducing a darker Doctor Strange with a third eye on his forehead.
The remainder of this article includes Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness spoilers.
Doctor Strange 2’s central narrative revolved on the Darkhold’s effect over Wanda Maximoff, completely releasing her as the Scarlet Witch and sending her on a rampage throughout the Multiverse in search of her children. To counteract this, Strange had to descend into the Darkhold’s pages, dream walking into America Chavez’s Doctor Strange’s corpse and persuade her to believe in her abilities.
Fans witnessed the repercussions of Strange’s fall into the Darkhold in the last minutes of the film, as he received his own Third Eye on his forehead, similar to the one Sinister Strange had after his time with the Book of the Damned. Following the release of Doctor Strange 2, the sequel’s lead writer discussed how that moment came to fruition inside the MCU.
Doctor Strange 2 Post-Credit Scene Explained
Michael Waldron, the writer of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, explained the film’s closing sequence, in which Strange gains a third eye in his forehead.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Waldron reflected on a time in the film when it “had a nice conclusion,” which was more than anticipated for a film “where a lot of horrible crap happened.” Waldron wanted to make sure the film had repercussions while also paying homage to classic horror films, referencing Baron Mordo’s “The bill comes due” line in the original Doctor Strange and Wong informing Strange of his risky acts in the new picture:
“I thought we had a nice ending. ‘Gee, you know, for a movie where a lot of horrible things occurs, we had sort of a pleasant ending here,’ we thought. We had really tied it up, which didn’t feel quite right. We kept recalling Mordo’s warning to Strange in the first film: ‘The bill comes due.’ ‘You inhabited your own corpse,’ Wong explains. I mean, will this person ever face any consequences? And it seemed like a nice tribute to horror films with that last surprise.”
Waldron spoke with Screen Rant about Strange’s transformation to this new shape, bringing up the concept of Strange “embracing that darkness” after reading the Darkhold and enacting its spells. It also raises many more doubts about his new destiny as he travels into the Dark Dimension with Charlize Theron’s Clea:
“As Mordo warned in the first film, the bill is due. He utilized the Darkhold to take possession of his own body, and the Darkhold exacts a high price. I suppose our tag’s question is, “Is Stephen embracing that darkness?” What does this imply for him? What route is he on when he meets Clea and travels to the Dark Dimension?”
During an interview with Vanity Fair, the director linked the closing of this film to the finale of 500 Days of Summer, highlighting how Christine Palmer influences his life but does not stay a part of it, however this time it involves someone with a “Third Eye.”
Waldron examined the scene in which Strange acquires the extra eyeball, questioning what this truly signifies for the film’s primary hero, on top of the hypocritical act of initiating an Incursion that Strange was afraid Wanda would cause:
“It was doubly thrilling. It’s as though Strange has embraced the gloom a little too much. He’s finding out how to deal with it all. What does this signify for our protagonist? That’s an intriguing topic in and of itself. Now Clea appears, stating, ‘You created an invasion.’ You did exactly what you were hoping Wanda wouldn’t do. Now we have to work together to remedy it.’ So, yes, it was just a wonderful little preview of things to come.”
What is Doctor Strange’s next adventure?
Doctor Strange is one of Marvel Comics’ strangest characters, so it’s hardly unsurprising that he concludes this film with a mysterious new eyeball emerging from his forehead. With the subtitle Multiverse of Madness, this sequel enabled Strange to be completely unhinged and released as he used some of Marvel’s worst magic in the Darkhold to preserve reality from collapsing.
Fans are curious how the Third Eye will contribute to the master magician’s journey in future Doctor Strange sequels and Avengers-style team-up excursions now that it is officially in play for him.
Most immediately, it will offer him even more strength and vision when he collaborates with Clea, his comic-book wife, for the first time on his first voyage to the Dark Dimension since Doctor Strange in 2016. These new implications will also provide him with a new personal struggle, as he battles the obvious evil inside him while still striving to do what is best for the Earth and the Multiverse.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is presently in cinemas throughout the globe.
