While the first establishes the future of Tom Holland’s Peter Parker, the second is actually a trailer for Dr. Strange and the Multiverse of Madness.
The post-credit scene, or teaser really, gives fans their first glimpse into the next chapter of Dr. Stephen Strange’s story and it directly relates to the events of both the latest Spider-Man and WandaVision.
However, it also has an unexpected link to the MCU’s animated Disney+ show What If…? and here is everything you need to know about how it does.
Warning: This article contains spoilers for Spider-Man: No Way Home
How the Spider-Man: No Way Home Post-Credit Scene Is Connected What If…?
In Spider-Man: No Way Home Dr. Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) tries to help Peter Parker after his identity is revealed by using a spell to make the world forget he is the web-slinging superhero.
At first the spell goes wrong because Parker keeps interrupting Strange with requests to alter it, and when this happens he contains it in a pocket dimension to stop it from destroying the universe as they know it.
He uses a similar move in the finale of What If…?, in which he seals Killmonger and Ultron (controlled by Zola) in a pocket dimension to stop their fight.
The film sees Holland’s Parker join forces with Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland’s iterations of the character to “cure” the supervillains from their worlds and send them back.
And, while they manage to succeed, Holland’s Parker has to make the ultimate sacrifice by getting Dr. Strange to force the world to forget he exists in order to stop people from other universes entering his.
Strange’s spell may have helped Parker with this problem, but tampering with the multiverse has consequences and these will be explored in the character’s sophomore film.
The trailer for Dr. Strange and the Multiverse of Madness showed him trying to rectify his actions by meeting with Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and getting her to work with him to stop the multiverses from colliding even further.
The teaser clip ends with Dr. Strange facing his most dangerous enemy yet: himself, except, not exactly.
The version of the sorcerer that our version of the character faces appears to be his villainous counterpart, Strange Supreme, who also appears in What If…?.
In Episode 4 of What If…?, Dr. Strange struggles with the loss of his girlfriend Dr. Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams), who dies in a car crash.
Once he learns the Mystic Arts, he decides to use the Time Stone to undo her death, except no matter what he does Palmer always dies, because it is an “absolute point” in time.
Dr. Strange refuses to accept this, though, and, after The Ancient One (Tilda Swinton) splits him into two versions, one becomes powerful by absorbing mystical beings and becoming Strange Supreme.
The episode ends with the villain overpowering the “good” version of himself and successfully resurrecting Palmer, only for the act to cause his universe to collapse in on itself, leaving him alone with his grief.
It is unclear if the villainous take on the character in the trailer for Dr. Strange and the Multiverse of Madness will be the same Strange Supreme that appears in What If…?, but it certainly appears to be a similar take on the anti-hero.
Spider-Man: No Way Home is out in theaters now.
Update 12.23.2021 at 3.11 a.m. ET: This article was updated to include the trailer for Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness after it was officially released by Marvel.
