The chaotic post-credits scene in ‘Doctor Strange 2,’ explained

Warning: This article discusses major spoilers for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is a universe-traversing superhero epic, and just like any other Marvel Cinematic Universe film, features two post-credits scenes for fans to obsess over. So, as credits roll, don’t leave the cinema straight away, and prepare to have more multiverse shenanigans thrown your way.

Spoilers to follow.

The first post-credits scene, explained

As Doctor Strange’s third eye is awakened, he struggles back to his feet and is shocked to see a mysterious figure in a purple costume. Charlize Theron, playing the sorceress Clea from the Marvel comic books, warns him of an incursion within the multiverse, and requests his help, before they descend into the Dark Dimension.

Last seen in 2016’s Doctor Strange, the dark dimension is home to Dormammu who Strange tricked into saving the 616 reality. The dark dimension is one of many timeless, void spots in the Marvel Universe and is believed to be the origin of dark magic.

In the comic books, Clea appears as the niece of Dormammu and eventually becomes Stephen Strange’s wife. She also takes up the role of Sorcerer Supreme when Doctor Strange is killed during the Death of Doctor Strange event in the comic books.

The second post-credits scene, explained

After waiting a few more minutes, you’ll be treated to the end of Bruce Campbell’s story arc in the Marvel Universe. After Strange puts a “three-week” self-punching spree on Campbell’s character, the pizza-ball salesman finally breaks out of the loop, before looking dead into the eye of the camera, and declaring “it’s over!.”

It’s a continuation of one of Sam Raimi’s favorite tropes, which includes having actors punch themselves or punching them himself instead of getting someone else to do the job. Campbell fights himself in two previous Raimi films, with Campbell’s Evil Dead trilogy character Ash fighting miniature versions of himself in Army of Darkness, and fighting a zombified version of himself in Evil Dead 2.

Campbell’s character can realistically be a continuation of the snooty usher he played in the original Spider-Man trilogy, as Multiverse of Madness confirms that a different version of a person exists in every dimension in the multiverse.