Spider-Man: No Way Home post-credits scenes, explained

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

Spider-Man: No Way Home has finally hit cinemas, and some fans are calling it Marvel’s most ambitious release to date.

The 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 – teeing up future instalments in the franchise.

Here’s a breakdown of what both scenes contain, and what they signify for the future of the MCU.

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

The mid-credits scene delivers on a moment which was first teased earlier this year, in the credits of Venom: Let There Be Carnage.

At the end of Carnage, Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) and Venom are transported suddenly to another universe, where he sees Tom Holland’s Spider-Man on the TV.

While the scene seemed to set up some kind of confrontation between the two, it never manifested in No Way Home.

(Sony Pictures Releasing / Marvel Studios)

During the mid-credits scene, however, we see Brock sitting at a bar, piecing together what he’s learned about this new reality, such as the existence of the Avengers.

Before long, he vanishes back to his own universe, however, as Doctor Strange’s spell takes effect.

A close up of the bar counter reveals that a piece of the Venom symbiote remains in the main MCU reality, however.

This seems to suggest that Venom will play a significant role in the MCU, potentially in a forthcoming Spider-Man sequel.

While a fourth standalone Spider-Man film has not yet been announced by Marvel, it is widely expected that Holland will return as the character in another (possibly three more) films.

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

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).

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

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.