Spider-Man: No Way Home – How does the post-credits scene set up Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness?

*Spoilers follow for ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’*

Spider-Man: No Way Home has finally hit cinemas, and it may just be Marvel’s most ambitious release to date.

The Marvel blockbuster brings back a number of villains from previous Spider-Man films, as well as tying into other films within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), most notably Doctor Strange.

Like nearly all other films in the MCU, No Way Home also features a post-credits scene – and a mid-credits scene – which tee up future instalments in the franchise.

Spoilers follow for Spider-Man: No Way Home...

Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) plays a major role in No Way Home, as it is his spell (botched by Peter Parker’s influence) that allows characters from the multiverse to enter his universe.

The multiverse is already known to feature heavily in the forthcoming Doctor Strange sequel, entitled Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

No Way Home’s post-credits scene gave fans a look at what to expect from Multiverse of Madness, with the tag essentially functioning as a trailer for the film.

Doctor Strange and Spider-Man in the trailer for ‘No Way Home' (Marvel Studios)

We see Strange being told that he will face dire consequences for tangling with the multiverse, prompting him to solicit the help of Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen).

Wanda, AKA Scarlett Witch, was last seen living in rural reclusion after the events of WandaVision, which are referenced in the post-credits scene.

However, another scene then shows Doctor Strange being told that the multiverse’s ultimate danger is in fact himself – and he comes face to face with a visibly evil version of himself.

Devotees of the MCU TV series will recall that a multiversal evil version of Doctor Strange appeared in the anthology series What If...? earlier this year.

It’s not officially confirmed that this is the same iteration of Strange that appears in What If...? (though this seems highly likely), but one thing is certain: the character is likely to play a substantial role in the forthcoming sequel.

Spider-Man: No Way Home is out in cinemas now. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is out in cinemas on 6 May 2022.