Spider-Man: No Way Home's Second Post-Credits Scene Explained

It's been a long time coming, but "Spider-Man: No Way Home" is finally here — and it's filled to the brim with crowd-pleasing moments alongside emotional gut punches. Rave reviews are pouring in from around the world, and it currently holds a 94% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Empire Magazine's Dan Jolin called it a "monumentally successful Spider-instalment which pulls off a tricky and ambitious narrative trick with all the grace of a balcony-top backflip." Ambitious is an understatement, since it brings back a horde of villains from previous "Spider-Man" movies, and it's up to Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tom Holland) to send them back to where they came from.

Obviously, Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) is responsible for some of the multiversal madness — and his role in the film gives the story an "Avengers" feeling to it in the sense that it's a massive event movie. In fact, the stakes are just as high as some of the previous team-up movies. The ending leaves Peter Parker in a fascinating place going forward, and it'll be interesting to see what Sony has planned for the next "Spider-Man" trilogy.

But like any Marvel movie, there are a couple of post-credits scenes that set up future adventures in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (and beyond). The first might change things forever for Peter, but the second goes even further. Here's the second post-credits scene of "Spider-Man: No Way Home" explained.

It's pretty simple — the second post-credits scene is actually the first teaser for "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" — and it's a real treat. The footage springboards off from the events of "No Way Home," as the Master of the Mystic Arts quickly realizes that his spells have cracked open the multiverse and are causing havoc across the MCU. It reveals some truly apocalyptic imagery as Strange wanders through a ruined version of New York that is dripping in black goo. In fact, there's clearly a horrific sense of dread hanging over it all. Thankfully, Marvel Studios got the right man for the job, as legendary horror master Sam Raimi is in the director's chair this time around.

The footage also reveals that Stephen goes to Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) for help in fixing the multiverse, which makes sense because she unlocks more of her own magical abilities during "WandaVision." Although it'll be interesting to see what the good doctor makes of her Westview shenanigans, perhaps this adventure will be her way of making amends.

This new dynamic duo won't be alone either, as they're joined by America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) who is briefly seen standing behind Strange in a building surrounded by a vibrant, swirling cosmos. Chavez has the ability to punch her way through to alternate universes, so that's definitely going to be useful here.

Aside from the multiverse exploding, Doctor Strange will have to contend with three villains throughout the sequel. The first is a little predictable, as Baron Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor) returns to make good on his promise of "no more sorcerers" at the end of 2016's "Doctor Strange." He's got a slightly different look since he's grown his hair into dreadlocks — although he's still rocking a set of green robes. He'll definitely have a few things to say about the way Stephen tampers with the multiverse in "No Way Home."

The next is Shuma-Gorath, a tentacled extradimensional entity who lives in the boundaries between universes — at least in the comics anyway. A brief clip shows Doctor Strange battling the demon in New York, using a spell to stop debris that the villain hurls at him. However, it's the last villain that makes this all the more interesting ...

As Mordo explains in a moody narration, the real villain is Doctor Strange himself — as we see a dark, warped version of the hero prowling around a swamp-like version of the Sanctum Sanctorum. He looks awfully similar to the version of Stephen who appears in "What If...?" Episode 4. This is the "Multiverse of Madness" after all, so it wouldn't be surprising if Kevin Feige ties the animated show into the Cumberbatch-led sequel. Hopefully, fans will get all the answers they need when the film arrives in theaters on May 6, 2022.