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Warning: This post contains major spoilers for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness ending explained in detail. The Marvel Cinematic Universe continues expanding, with Doctor Strange 2 marking the 28th entry into the shared universe that now includes a handful of Disney+ series. Since his first appearance in Doctor Strange, the titular character (Benedict Cumberbatch) has battled Thanos, been to space, and opened the doors to the multiverse after a magic spell goes awry.

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. Since his return, he’s been hanging out in the New York Sanctum, mostly bored because Wong became Sorcerer Supreme in his absence and he’s not had much to do. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, however, sends a mystery and an adventure right to his doorstep. The sequel steps more fully into the multiverse, the concept of which was first introduced in Loki, by 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, that never remains the case for long in the MCU. With Wanda gone and the multiverse not under threat of destruction for the time being, Doctor Strange is 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.

What Happens At The End Of Doctor Strange 2

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, and knowing they are well-loved by Earth-838’s version of herself, Scarlet Witch backs off and works to make things right. America also realizes, with the help of Doctor Strange, that she is capable of controlling her abilities.

Following Wanda’s downfall, Doctor Strange and Wong work to rebuild Kamar-Taj, training new apprentices while trying to get back to some semblance of normal. Wanda is presumably 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 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 multiverse has created an incursion, which destroys the balance in the multiverse and leads to worldly barriers to collide and annihilate 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 will probably be something he will use in the future.

Is Scarlet Witch Really Dead?

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. The post-credits scenes didn’t tease that Scarlet Witch was still alive, but it’s likely she still is. It would be rather strange to end her story shortly after she decided she would do the right thing and Scarlet Witch is too powerful a character for her story to end in such a way. It’s possible Wanda cast a spell to protect herself from the falling rocks and emerged only after she was sure the temple was fully destroyed. If she’s not dead, Scarlet Witch could go to hide out for a while the way she did after WandaVision before emerging again when the need for her and her powers arises.

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 the 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 Earth-616 and she would stay until she was ready to leave on whatever adventure awaited her next. 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 are presumed dead). What’s more, America could join the Young Avengers, if the MCU creates the team in the future. 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. There is so much yet to be explored about America, including the full range of her powers and more of her backstory and world of origin, and so the potential for her to appear in a future MCU project is high.

Clea Joins The MCU In The Post-Credits

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 suggests there will be more time spent exploring the multiverse and her relationship with Doctor Strange.

When Will Doctor Strange Return? Doctor Strange 3 Or Avengers 5?

At the end of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, it’s revealed that Doctor Strange will return. However, the film doesn’t indicate in which film the sorcerer will next be seen. Avengers 5 seems too far down the line for now, especially since the MCU’s Phase 4 has yet to fully build out its main players. It’s more likely Doctor Strange will appear in a potential Doctor Strange 3 first before going on to appear in Avengers 5. The sorcerer needs one more solo film to properly flesh out his character before he dives into another team-up. His return in Doctor Strange 3, which has not been officially announced, could properly develop his relationship with Clea, who is new to the MCU. Plus, whatever’s happening in the multiverse is big enough that it demands further analysis. The incursions need more time to be understood and shown before Doctor Strange joins a larger mission in another Avengers movie.

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. However, it’s possible there will be shades of darkness that will make themselves known when he returns. It’s unlikely he will go full Sinister Strange. It feels like a been there, done that development considering What If…? already covered that territory and Doctor Strange 2 offered a glimpse of 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 a similar storyline with Doctor Strange so soon after.

The Illuminati’s MCU Future: Krasinski’s Mister Fantastic, Captain Carter & More

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 Mister 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 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. One doesn’t cast Krasinski or bring in Patrick Stewart for only small appearances. 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. There could also be a solo movie featuring them that is set on one of the multiverse’s many worlds. That means fans could get not only Reed Richards, but the rest of the Fantastic Four, as well as Professor Xavier and members of the X-Men.

What Doctor Strange 2’s Ending Means For The MCU’s Future

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness sets up the MCU’s future in a big way. The film’s introduction of incursions — which is what happens when the boundary between two universes collide and one is eventually annihilated — points to a big event happening within the multiverse. Doctor Strange and Clea trying to fix incursions could lead them to He Who Remains (aka, Kang the Conqueror), who is set to appear in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. 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. It’s possible Doctor Strange and Clea’s mission to fix incursions will land them at the center of whatever multiverse destruction might happen and will help to stop it. The incursions could also lead to Secret Wars, a comic book event that saw superheroes from various worlds duke it out on a planet called Battleword, a planet created from the remains of an incursion happening between two worlds where no one remembered their past. Whatever the case, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness lays enough groundwork to affect the rest of the MCU moving forward.