Doctor Strange 2 post credit scene explained

Doctor Strange 2brings another major star into the MCU in its mid-credit scene in the form of the one and only Charlize Theron.

In an unexpected twist of fate, Theron also popped up in The Boys a few weeks after the MCU sequel's release. "I was very transparent [with Marvel], and they were just like, 'This is great'," she explained in June 2022.

While fans would have instantly recognised Theron as a fictional version of Stormfront in The Boys's in-universe movie Dawn of the Seven, there's every chance you'd have no clue who she was playing in Doctor Strange 2.

So we're here to help with who Theron is playing and how it will play into the MCU's future, but obviously, there are major spoilers ahead if you haven't seen the movie yet.

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Doctor Strange 2 credit scene explained: Who is Charlize Theron playing?

The mid-credit scene picks up with Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) strolling down the street having saved the day, again. His peace is interrupted by the arrival of a surprise visitor through a portal, played by Charlize Theron.

This stranger tells Strange that he "caused an incursion and we're going to fix it... unless you're afraid". Revealing his new third eye (a result of his use of the Darkhold in the movie's finale), Strange reveals that of course he isn't afraid and heads off on the new mission.

At no point does the scene reveal who Theron is playing, but if you're confused, she's playing Clea, who in the comics is a love interest of Strange and, at one point, ended up marrying him.

The appearance of Clea was actually rumoured for the sequel way back in 2019, but the casting of Theron was largely kept under wraps. Since the movie's release, Theron has officially debuted Clea on her Instagram.

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Doctor Strange 2 writer Michael Waldron has also explained that the introduction of Clea was meant to draw a line under Strange's relationship with Christine Palmer which, as we discover in the movie, never seems to work in any universe.

In the comics, Clea first appeared in Strange Tales #126 and is the daughter of Prince Orini – heir to the Dark Dimension – and Dormammu's sister Umar (although she didn't always know her mother was Umar).

Strange and Clea first met when he went into the Dark Dimension to battle Dormammu, who was trying to conquer Earth. Clea helped Strange in his battle and the pair fell in love and Clea moved to Earth with Strange after Umar took control of the Dark Dimension.

On Earth, Clea lost her sorceress powers and studied at the Sanctum Sanctorum to regain them. When Strange became the Sorcerer Supreme, Clea became his official disciple in the mystic arts, but she eventually returned to the Dark Dimension to join the rebellion to overthrow Umar.

Clea won and claimed rulership of the Dark Dimension, banishing her parents to a pocket dimension. During her reign, Clea and Strange got married in the Dark Dimension, but they could never really be together as Strange was needed on Earth and Clea faced the constant threat of Dormammu in the Dark Dimension.

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It's unlikely that we'll see this story play out in the MCU, especially since Strange defeated Dormammu in the first movie. Dormammu could well return as a villain, but it would feel like treading old ground.

However, there is something else in the comics that could hint at Clea's MCU future.

In the comics, Clea was left with the Eye of Agamotto and the Cloak of Levitation by Strange after his death. (He was revived for a bit and gave them to her as she was the only one he could trust before he was taken by Death again.)

It could well be where the third movie ends up, but first, Clea and Strange have that "Incursion" to deal with. When Strange is taken to the Illuminati earlier in the movie, he's told that an Incursion happens when two universes in the multiverse begin to collide.

The Doctor Strange of Earth-838 accidentally caused one when he was using the Darkhold to find a way to defeat Thanos, leading to the annihilation of one universe. It's what the Illuminati fear could happen if our Strange sticks around in their universe, so they're keen for it not to happen.

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He even sees the consequences of an Incursion himself when Strange meets other, other, other Strange in a different universe where reality has collapsed in on itself. Clearly, something Strange did in the finale has led to such an Incursion happening in the multiverse.

Luckily, one of Clea's powers (in the comics, anyway) is the ability to teleport to other locations and dimensions. So the third movie will likely see Strange on another multiverse-hopping adventure to halt the destruction of one universe.

Does it mean romance is also in the air for Strange? We'll have to wait and see.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is available to watch now on Disney+.

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