It always amazes me that when the credits start rolling on a Marvel movie, the people around me get up and walk away. If you haven’t learned yet, your MCU card should be revoked. Many of us now have to watch the credits of every movie we see just in case it followed the trope that Marvel made popular. I really should have known that House Of Gucci wouldn’t have a post-credits scene – it’s been ten minutes of my life that I’ve never been back.
Spider-Man: No Way Home is gradually hitting theaters around the world, meaning we now know who and what is in his credit scenes. It goes without saying at this point, and really before I start reading this article, that what comes next is riddled with spoilers. If you haven’t seen No Way Home and don’t want some key plot points messed up, stop reading now.
First off, No Way Home has two credit scenes. One halfway and another just at the end. Always handy to know in case there isn’t one at the very end and you can save yourself a few minutes of sitting there for nothing.
Venom in the MCU
The mid-credits scene shows Tom Hardy’s Eddie Brock sitting in a bar in Mexico, quizzing a bartender about everything in the MCU. If you recognize the bartender, it’s because it’s Ted Lasso’s Dani Rojas. Brock, and of course Venom who doesn’t appear beyond the voice Brock grapples with in his head, confusedly asks the bartender a series of questions. Puzzled by this new universe filled with superheroes, including a billionaire in a pewter suit and a really angry green man. Brock and Venom laugh when they learn that this angry green man is called the Hulk. Thanos also receives a scream as a purple stone-loving alien.
Despite Venom’s desire for a swim, Brock reveals that he plans to travel to New York City to visit Spider-Man. However, soon after this decision, he and Venom are sent back to their own universe. The scene is said to have played out in tandem with that of the film when Doctor Strange sends the interdimensional villains and the accompanying Spider-Men back to where they came from.
There was one caveat, however, and it is important. A small piece of Venom’s symbiote has been left behind in the MCU. This could mean a number of things for the future. Venom appearing in Spidey’s next film, or possibly before, but likely without Tom Hardy as a host is the most likely outcome. What was not made clear is why Brock and Venom were summoned to the MCU by Strange’s Curse in the first place.
The spell was only meant to open the door between universes for those who know Peter Parker is Spider-Man. Brock clearly had no idea. However, Venom boasted in the credits scene of his own film that he possessed “80 billion light years of knowledge of beehives across the universes.” There’s a good chance this will include information about who Spider-Man is in at least one of them.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
The second credits scene for No Way Home, which comes right at the end of the movie, was a little different than what MCU fans are used to. Not a short scene featuring a new character or including a joke, but essentially a full-fledged trailer for Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness, the MCU’s next big-screen installment that will arrive in May 2022.
Even though Strange bridges the loopholes in the multiverse with his “everyone forgets Peter Parker” spell at the end of No Way Home, Doctor Strange 2’s name indicates that he hasn’t fully fixed it. The next chapter teaser begins with Strange saying “It was the only way, but I never wanted this to happen” to someone. Maybe a VAT representative who will likely get involved given the disruption caused at several timelines during No Way Home.
Strange then searches for Wanda and asks her for help, asking her about what she knows about the multiverse. The last time we saw Wanda was in the WandaVision finale credits. In this scene, Wanda seemed to be playing with magic, and maybe even time. Now, it looks like she’s helping Strange clean up whatever his spells have caused.
The real dropper in the post-credits teaser is when Strange is shown face to face with Strange Supreme. Strange Supreme was first introduced to the MCU via the What If? like the dark version of Doctor Strange, who turns evil due to his inability to accept the permanence of Christine’s death. Strange Supreme ignores The Ancient One’s warnings and brings Christine back from the dead, shattering the universe.
As a result, the universe collapses on itself, leaving Strange Supreme trapped for eternity. Well, other than when The Watcher frees him to help save the Multiverse before sending him back to his Infinite Prison. It wasn’t clear whether the Strange Supreme in the live-action MCU will be the same as the one in What If, but it seems likely. Perhaps the second Strange spell allowed his dark alter ego to escape and arrive in his universe. This would explain why Mordo is telling Strange that the biggest threat to their universe is him, and maybe Doctor Strange 2 will be the last time we see him in the MCU as he sacrifices himself to defeat Strange Supreme.
Not only did the action of No Way Home open many doors for the future, but its two credit scenes set the stage for what might just be the most exciting chapter in the MCU to date. Spider-Man and Doctor Strange will return, as will Wanda, Venom, and, at this point, potentially anyone your heart desires.
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