Warning: SPOILERS for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness contained many revelations for Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), including the introduction of Clea (Charlize Theron) and the reintroduction of a villain more powerful than Thanos (Josh Brolin). Throughout the film, Doctor Strange struggled against the powers of the Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and his counterparts across the multiverse, but he emerged victoriously. However, there were consequences to his actions. With the appearance of the mysterious Clea in the post-credits scene, Doctor Strange’s world became even more dangerous, and the MCU became even more exciting as Clea will usher in the return of Doctor Strange’s most dangerous foe.
In Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Doctor Strange traveled across the multiverse to protect America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) from the Scarlet Witch. After he returned to Earth-616 and America was safe within the walls of the Kamar-Taj, the film’s post-credits scene showed a mysterious woman exiting a portal from the Dark Dimension. This mysterious woman from Doctor Strange 2's credits was Clea, and she informed Doctor Strange that he caused an incursion and asked him to come with her to fix it before various worlds were destroyed. Doctor Strange opened his newly acquired third eye and followed Clea into the Dark Dimension.
The post-credits scene for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness implied that Dormammu would be returning to the MCU due to Clea’s ties to Doctor Strange, Dormammu, and the Dark Dimension. Until Avengers: Endgame, Thanos was the villain who was built up to be the most dangerous. Thanos was shown to be the MCU's most powerful villain because he devastated the heroes of the MCU more than any other villain who came before him. However, Clea’s appearance implies that the MCU will delve further into Dormammu and the Dark Dimension. If Dormammu’s power in the MCU is further explored to its full extent as it is in the Marvel comics, then he will become an even stronger force than Thanos.
Unlike Thanos, Dormammu doesn’t need infinity stones because he has unlimited power over the Dark Dimension and can manipulate magic within other dimensions. In the comics, Dormammu has controlled matter, teleported, and even raised the dead. In both the comics and the MCU, Dormammu has bestowed dangerous amounts of power to zealots like Kaecilius (Mads Mikkelsen), who have done incredible damage. Furthermore, Dormamu is a being of pure mystic energy who managed to kill Doctor Strange. Thankfully because of the time stone's power, Doctor Strange was able to defeat Dormammu using a time loop and escaped death while bargaining for the safety of Earth-616. Dormammu has proven himself as an entity in the Marvel films and comics that is basically undefeatable in combat; he could only be bargained with and evaded when encountered. Now that the time stone is gone following Avengers: Endgame, Doctor Strange will need to find a new advantage over Dormammu.
Clea's appearance foreshadowed impending danger from Dormammu because she is his niece. Clea was raised in the dark dimension and drew power from it. She and Doctor Strange jumped inside to save the universe at the end of Doctor Strange 2, giving the audience a glimpse of the Dark Dimension. Given her history and understanding of Dormammu and the dark dimension, if Clea is concerned for the universe's safety, then Doctor Strange should also be greatly concerned. Thanos was a powerful titan who had the power of an army and infinity stones, but Dormammu is an immortal being with the power of magic and the Dark Dimension on his side.
In the first Doctor Strange, audiences only received a glimpse of Dormammu’s influence as well as the unlimited potential of the Dark Dimension. Still, Clea’s cameo at the end of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness showed that Dormammu's influence on the MCU is far from over. In fact, it has just begun. If Dormammu’s magical strength over the Dark Dimension is as strong in the MCU as in the comics, to beat him a second time, Doctor Strange will need more than an infinity stone. However, after Clea's appearance in Doctor Strange in Multiverse of Madness, there may yet be hope for the master of the mystic arts.
