Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness took fans on a horror-filled romp throughout parallel universes as the titular Master of the Mystic Arts attempts to defeat the rising villainy of the former Avenger, the Scarlet Witch.
While much of the film's events are exciting enough for MCU fans, the mid-credits scene upped the ante by introducing fans to Charlize Theron's Clea, a sorceress from the Dark Dimension that has major implications for the future of Doctor Strange and the other sorcerers. Now that this exciting character has finally arrived, fans are left to wonder where they could see her next in the MCU.
Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania
The premiere of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is set to be released in February of 2023, little is yet known about the third film in the Ant-Man trilogy, save for one very intriguing confirmation: that it will include the next appearance of the MCU's new Big Bad, Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors).
Setting a major villain like Kang against the likes of Ant-Man and the Wasp seems to signify that there is plenty about this film that Marvel Studios is keeping from general audiences, as such a face-off would make for the largest-scale Ant-Man film yet. Such a battle would require plenty of help from the superheroes that are most closely aligned with the multiverse, indicating that Doctor Strange and Clea could both make an appearance in the film, where they will come in contact with Kang for the first, but likely not the last, time.
Secret Invasion
Secret Invasion is perhaps the most exciting entry to the MCU's growing catalog of streaming series thus far, especially given the nuanced complexity inherent in the comic event of the same name. This Disney+ series is expected to air sometime in late 2022, with Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury investigating a clandestine Skrull invasion of earth, unraveling secrets that will change the MCU forever.
This particular series seems poised to include significant events that will change the franchise forever and will therefore likely include scenes taking place in every corner of the known and unknown MCU, all of which will be affected by the Skrull invasion of Earth. As such, it would be interesting to see how the sorcerers of Kamar-Taj, along with the newly-arrived Clea, will react to such an attack. A cameo from Clea, Strange, and Wong seems quite likely in this series, though some argue that an appearance from the Fantastic Four is far more likely.
She-Hulk
This summer, Tatiana Maslany will make her long-awaited debut as the savage She-Hulk in her self-titled series on Disney+. She-Hulk will take the form of a legal procedural with a superhero twist, as Jennifer Walters deals with different legal cases involving superhumans each week, implying that she may become well-acquainted with all corners of the Marvel Cinematic Universe over the course of the show's first season.
Because of just how wide-ranging She-Hulk seems to be as a series, it is certainly fathomable that at least one episode of the show's first season could see Jennifer Walters deal with the more mystical side of the MCU. If this does indeed happen, it would be the perfect opportunity for Marvel to explain exactly what happened after Clea and Stephen Strange met in the mid-credits scene of Multiverse of Madness. With Wong already confirmed to appear in the series, it seems very possible that such a meeting could occur.
Thor: Love And Thunder
Thor: Love and Thunder is the next film on the release schedule of Marvel's Phase 4, reuniting Chris Hemsworth with Taika Waititi for what is sure to be another fun-filled romp throughout different corners of the galaxy. The film will see the debut of Christian Bale's Gorr the God Butcher, who will threaten everything the god of thunder has ever stood for, and just might be the end of the strongest Avenger's time in the MCU.
Clea could very well be one of several as-yet-announced Marvel characters to appear in Love and Thunder. The upcoming fourth entry to the Thor franchise will span various parts of the MCU as the titular superhero seeks to find himself. It could be that he finds himself once more seeking help from the former Master of the Mystic Arts as he did in Ragnarok. If this is the case, he may be surprised to find Strange already busy with the news of the multiversal incursion that Clea brought to his doorstep at their first meeting.
Doctor Strange 3
Though Marvel Studios has yet to officially announce a follow-up to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, such a film seems inevitable given the success of their latest cinematic release. Fans are already eagerly awaiting Doctor Strange 3, hoping that there won't be as long a wait for such a film as there was for the second entry in the franchise.
While there are certainly a number of places that Clea's dire warning to Dr. Strange might play out, the mid-credits scene of Multiverse of Madness seems to most directly point to Doctor Strange 3. Clea is a major part of the mythos of Doctor Strange's history, as the two are eventually married in the comics. Even if she appears elsewhere first, fans can be assured that Charlize Theron's character will have a major role in the next installment of this particular franchise.
Secret Wars
The MCU seems to be heading for a Secret Wars event, a multiversal storyline from the comics that saw heroes from parallel universes united on Battleworld, forced to fight for the very existence of their homeworlds. Such a film seems like the perfect ending to the MCU's multiverse storyline, and would likely take the form of Avengers 5, which has been Marvel's most top-secret project ever since the release of Avengers: Endgame in 2019.
Clea's foreboding message to Doctor Strange at the end of Multiverse of Madness revealed that the MCU was headed for an incursion with an as-yet-unknown parallel reality. If she and Strange are unable to stop this from occurring, it will undoubtedly result in the Secret Wars event that fans have all been waiting for, leaving the two sorcerers to help the other heroes of their world fight for the continued existence of their reality. Clea's role in such a film would prove vital, as she may be the only one present who has witnessed the events of an incursion before.
Spinoff Film Or Series
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is certainly unafraid to take big risks when it comes to giving characters their own spinoff franchise, whether that happens in the form of a film or streaming series. With their great success on Disney+ thus far, it certainly wouldn't be outside the realm of possibility for Marvel Studios to greenlight some form of spinoff centering around the newly-introduced Clea.
While a Clea-centered spinoff seems unlikely for the character's next appearance, it certainly isn't impossible, especially given the fact that other characters like Agatha Harkness and Echo each have received their own spinoffs after only one prior role in another MCU project. The Sorceress Supreme of the Dark Dimension will likely play a major role in the future of the franchise, and could therefore already be in the works for her own franchise, perhaps even sooner than any fans yet realize.