Doctor Strange’s post-credit scenes explained

‘Doctor Strange’ hits UK cinemas this week and as always with Marvel Cinematic Universe films there are a couple of extra scenes hidden away at the end, so stay in your seats until the house lights come up.

But what happens in the credit stings of ‘Doctor Strange’ and what are the implications for future Marvel films?

Doctor Strange reviews are here
Why Deadpool 2 director quit
Harley Quinn costumes are all the rage

Allow us to explain, but beware of major plot spoilers coming up.

Mid-credit scene – The Doctor will see you now

The first sting happens partway through the credits after Michael Giacchino’s awesome theme ‘The Master of the Mystic End Credits’ comes to an end. If you haven’t heard to it yet, do yourself a favour and have a listen here.

The scene shows Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange receiving a guest at the New York Sanctum where, presumably, the caped hero now resides. A familiar voice can be heard asking, “Earth has wizards now?” and we cut to reveal Thor in civilian clothing, drinking from a cup of tea.

There’s some banter over the drinks on offer, and Strange uses magic to swap Thor’s cuppa for a huge stein of beer that seems to refill itself, much to the Odinson’s amusement.

Strange wants to know what Thor and Loki (who we don’t see) are doing in New York. Thor explains they’re in the Big Apple looking for their father Odin (Anthony Hopkins), to which Strange offers, “allow me to help you”, and then we fade to black.

This seems to be a straight set-up for ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ and we believe it may have been culled from the film itself much like the ‘Captain America: Civil War’ garage scene that first appeared as a credit sting in ‘Ant-Man’.

It also seems to confirm the rumours that Strange would appear in ‘Thor 3’. Suspicions were raised when some leaked set photos showed Chris Hemsworth’s Thor and Tom Hiddleston’s Loki searching for 177A Bleecker Street, the address of the New York Sanctum.

Strange’s offer of help suggests the character will have a cameo in the third ‘Thor’ film, although producer Kevin Feige has previously stated only a small percentage of the film actually takes place on Earth, so expect his appearance to be a fleeting one.

But why are the Asgardian siblings looking for Odin on Earth? Something big must be happening on Asgard for Thor and Loki to have buried the hatchet and be working together to find their father. The last we saw of Odin in ‘Thor: The Dark World’ he’d been secretly deposed by Loki who was posing as his estranged father to rule over the people of Asgard.

Has Odin escaped from his son’s clutches and pursued Thor to Earth? Set photos from ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ show Anthony Hopkins’ character looking more like a vagrant than a mighty Norse god, adding weight to the suggestion he could be in hiding in New York.

Post credits scene – Gimme Mordo

After the main credits we’re treated to final coda for Chiwitel Ejiofor’s Mordo who, for our money, is one of the most interesting characters in the whole film.

The scene shows a hooded figure skulking into a darkly lit workshop where a man can be seen welding. The welder is Benjamin Bratt’s Jonathan Pangbourne; a character that appeared earlier in the film who’d cured his own paralysis using magic, and the hooded figure is Mordo.

Mordo, it transpires, is here for trouble. He tells Pangbourne that by misusing magic to cure his paralysis, he’s become “twisted out of shape” and that he’s “perverting nature”. He then strikes Pangbourne down using his powers, drawing the magic out of his body, leaving the man crippled on the floor.

He intimates that he’s on a personal crusade against conjurers because there’s “too many sorcerers” in the world. Does this mean he also has Doctor Strange in his sights?

Fans of the comic will know that Mordo is actually a powerful adversary for Doctor Strange, so it won’t be a huge surprise to see him turning to the dark side. Although he’s been Strange’s ally and companion throughout the rest of the film, you can see Mordo gradually becoming more disillusioned with magic and The Ancient One as time goes on.

The battle with Dormammu in the film’s climax seems to have been the final straw for Mordo, and this last credit sting leaves the door open for him to return at a future point in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

We think he’d be great as the chief antagonist in ‘Doctor Strange 2’, or we could also see him teaming up with Thanos in ‘Avengers: Infinity War’.

Joss Whedon wants to make a Star Wars film
New look at Wonder Woman
Marvel pulls cover with ‘sexualised’ 15-year-old

‘Doctor Strange’ hits UK cinemas on 25 October.