The Ending of ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ Explained

Ending Explained is a recurring sequence the place we discover the finales, secrets and techniques, and themes of attention-grabbing motion pictures and exhibits, each new and previous. This time, we take a look at the ending of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Yes, put together for spoilers.

Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) breaking dangerous is the first shock dropped in Sam Raimi‘sDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Although, it’s probably not a shock, proper? Comic ebook followers have waited for this second for a while, and WandaVision watchers shouldn’t be terribly shocked both. Many Avengers have suffered over their lifetime, however Wanda noticed extra loss than most.

First, she misplaced her mother and father after her Sokovian house was bombed. Then she misplaced her brother Pietro to the Stark-raving-mad murder-bot referred to as Ultron. And lastly, she was pressured into killing her beloved Vision earlier than Thanos ripped the Mind Stone from his noggin, solely to have the Mad Titan reverse time and do it himself anyway.

The act was one painful second too many. WandaVision‘s penultimate episode revealed how Wanda rebuilt Westview in her sitcom picture, full with two youngsters and a husband conjured from her chaos magic. According to the sequence villain Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn), such talents are not possible.

The nosey neighbor spent years learning the Book of the Damned, a.ok.a. the Darkhold. Its pages promised that solely the legendary Scarlet Witch may obtain creation from nothing. The two battled it out, and Wanda finally conquered victoriously, snatching the ebook for her functions.

The Multiverse of Madness Ending

We study early in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness that the Darkhold poisons its readers. During her brief time with the ebook, its evil seeped into Wanda, remodeling her grief into rage. The newest Marvel film’s plot kicks off when she sends demons after the multiversal-hopping America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez), pitting her towards Doctor Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch).

The movie’s climax happens atop Wundagore Mountain, in a temple dedicated to the Scarlet Witch. Unlike the different Stephen from one other universe, our Stephen assures Chavez that she will be able to tackle Wanda by herself. The ladies crash into one another however come to a pause after America opens a portal to a actuality the place Wanda and her youngsters stay fortunately. Witnessing their terror in her presence, our crazed Wanda backs off. She finally decides the Darkhold have to be destroyed and brings the mountain down upon her head.

Is there a future for Wanda Maximoff?

Is our Wanda useless? Seems seemingly. How can an individual survive devastation on such a scale? Uh, properly, she’s nonetheless the Scarlet Witch, and Avengers stroll away from these catastrophes every day. We gained’t imagine she’s useless and gone till we see a corpse.

Wanda has perished a number of occasions in the comics, and he or she all the time comes again. That’s how these items work. And frankly, it will be a aid to see her come again as a result of we don’t need her story to finish with the Darkhold manipulating her ache. As acknowledged at the high, she’s suffered rather a lot. Her life, and her character, deserve a definition aside from her distress.

Of course, now that we’ve got entry to the Multiverse, we’ve got entry to a number of Wandas. The Wanda with the joyful residence life, which shocked our Wanda into revelation, may simply crossover into our prime 616 actuality sometime. Her interactions with the emotion-wiped, however not data-wiped, Vision seen throughout WandaVision‘s ultimate episodewould be melodramatically delicious.

What’s the cope with Doctor Strange’s third eye?

Sam Raimi gotta Sam Raimi. The ultimate shot from Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness remembers the ultimate shot in The Evil Dead. Instead of Ash Williams being overtaken by the Deadites, Stephen Strange succumbs to the Darkhold’s depraved methods. While strolling down the road, Stephen crumples in ache. We see a 3rd eye popping from his brow when he springs again up. He learn from the Darkhold, and now its hooks are in him.

The sequence is a startling, nearly terrifying second…till the mid-credits finish scene arrives. We see that Stephen Strange is again on the road, none the worse for put on. Whatever poison the Darkhold injected into his physique appears correctly managed. So a lot in order that when Charlize Theron faucets him on the shoulder and asks for assist with a Multiversal Incursion, the third eye blinks like a bonus superpower.

Why can Stephen stand up to the Darkhold’s grasp whereas Wanda Maximoff and Agatha Harkness couldn’t? Hard to reply. You may chalk it as much as his Kamar-Tajeducation, however Agatha had much more time to check magic than Stephen ever did. Maybe he merely doesn’t include the infectious damage that Wanda and Agatha endured. Maybe it’s simply plot manipulation. Whatever the case, as Wanda would say, “it doesn’t seem fair.”

Did you say, Charlize Theron?

I did! While she’s not named in the mid-credits scene, Theron is enjoying Clea. She’s been round in the comics for fairly a while, first showing in 1964’s Strange Tales #125. Clea is from the Dark Dimension, which we noticed in the first Doctor Strange. She’s the daughter of Umar, the sister of Dormammu, that big-headed dude Stephen defeated through his unending bargains.

In the comics, Clea and Stephen had been romantically linked and even married at one level. Recently after The Death of Doctor Strange occasion, Clea took on Stephen’s duties and presently stars in the month-to-month title. So, her arrival in the MCU is a giant deal and will sign a significant relationship shift in the motion pictures going ahead. Sorry, Rachel McAdams. Your Christine is fortunately ever after with another dude now.

We are additionally clearly not executed with the Multiverse in the MCU both. The insanity is merely starting. Clea informing Stephen that he brought about an Incursion is also the first step to the franchise reaching its Secret Wars occasion, which may very well be the subsequent Avengers: Endgame.

What is Secret Wars?

Incursions are when completely different realities collide, destroying each. Earlier in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Reed Richards (John Krasinski) informed Stephen that their Illuminati group was principally involved with this apocalyptic phenomenon. He additionally acknowledged that Stephen Strange is the individual inflicting these cataclysmic blunders as a rule.Clea retrieving Stephen to repair an Incursion is like asking your youngster to choose up their bed room. You made the mess; you clear the mess.

In Jonathan Hickman’s basic Avengers storyline Time Runs Out, Doctor Doom manipulates a sequence of occasions the place a number of realities fold into one another. What’s left is a singular realm the place he guidelines. The Avengers from all realities coming collectively to take down Doom occurred in 2015’s Secret Wars maxi-series. It’s an epic brawl in which good and dangerous come collectively to avoid wasting existence, and it looks like the finest wager for one-upping Thanos’ Infinity Gauntlet storyline.

Pizza Poppa is free!

The ultimate end-credits scene drops in basic Marvel Studios style. The midway level stinger gave us a tease of what’s to return, and the final stinger offers us a giggle and sends us on our method.

There was no probability we had been getting out of a Sam Raimi film and not using a Bruce Campbell cameo. Many in all probability wished the nice chinned one obtained a meaty Marvel position. Instead, we get one other basic comedy bit far more in tune with the cameos Campbell offered in the Spider–Man movies. He’s Pizza Poppa, the meals vendor America Chavez tried to pinch some pizza balls from whereas ravenous in a actuality that was not her personal.

When Poppa threatened to gradual her and Stephen down, the good physician put a spell on him. He was pressured to punch himself repeatedly; a slapstick gag Campbell mastered in Evil Dead II and Army of Darkness. The ultimate scene reveals Pizza Poppa after the final magical punch is thrown, seemingly hours later. In aid, he screams, “It’s over!” And with that, we’re free to return to our every day lives. Thanks, Pizza Poppa.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is now playing in theaters.

Related Topics: Doctor Strange, Ending Explained, Marvel Explained

Brad Gullickson is a Weekly Columnist for Film School Rejects and Senior Curator for One Perfect Shot. When not rambling about motion pictures right here, he is rambling about comics as the co-host of Comic Book Couples Counseling. Hunt him down on Twitter: @MouthDork. (He/Him)