Released in 2022, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is a key part of Phase 4 in the MCU that delves further into the concept of the Multiverse, and marks the appearance of Incursion. These are two very important aspects of Marvel Comics, that will prove pivotal in the next phases of the MCU. However, in the mid-credits sequence of the movie, we can see another brand-new character step into the scene, who asks Stephen Strange to come along and fix an incursion caused by his actions.
The mysterious blonde-haired woman, portrayed by Charlize Theron, turns out to be Clea, a crucial character in Marvel Comics, and connects heavily to Doctor Strange’s lore as well. After roaming the multiverse to find the book of Vishanti, the latter accidentally causes a terrible incursion, and the two quickly jump to the Dark Dimension to fix the problem. So, who’s Clea, and what relationship does she have with Strange? We’re about to find out.
#1. Clea is an incredibly powerful character in the comics.
Source: Marvel Comics
In Marvel Comics, Clea is a high-powered sorceress, who’s the daughter of Prince Orini and Umar, Dormammu’s sister, a villain that Marvel fans are quite aware of. She wields a variety of powerful abilities using the Dark Dimension’s power, from magic manipulation to mind-control and teleportation. She’s also very knowledgeable about magic as a whole, and a master at melee combat.
Clea encounters Doctor Strange following his venture into the Dark Dimension, and the two team up and defeat his uncle Dormammu, claiming the world’s throne. Thanks to Strange, Clea even learns some new abilites, and is able to replicate any of his magic spells. They soon develop feelings and become husband and wife afterward.
#2. Clea’s appearance at the end of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Source: Marvel
In the movie's mid-credit scene, Clea suddenly appears before Strange’s eyes (he has three of them now), and asks him to follow her into the Dark Dimension to fix an incursion problem he created, then opens the gate to the other world with her magical ability. The interesting part is, Stephen isn’t even surprised to see Clea, as if he had been waiting for her arrival beforehand, thanks to the newfound ability of his third eye.
#3. This encounter between the two might already give us a big hint about what could happen in Doctor Strange 3.
Source: Marvel
There is no news about Doctor Strange 3 yet, but from what we saw, the sequel could be entirely about Strange and Clea’s adventure into the Dark Dimension to fix the incursion once and for all. We all know from the prequel that the Dark Dimension is where Strange’s old enemy, Dormammu, resides, a place where time doesn’t flow like any other.
The fact that the former once again enters the dimension means a rematch between the two is likely to happen again. The last time they fought, Strange completely outsmarted the much more powerful Dormammu by using the Time Stone to trap the latter in an infinite time loop, and he only released the entity after he promised not to mess with Earth ever again.
#4. Clea might prove to be a pivotal character in the next MCU projects.
Source: Marvel
Apart from Strange’s third movie, the duo can also make an appearance in other future MCU projects that involve magic and supernatural beings. For example, they can show up in the spinoff series Agatha: Coven of Chaos, which will feature Agatha Harkness herself, the witch that caused Wanda Maximoff so much trouble. The upcoming Blade movie could also include the couple.
With the incursion already happening, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has set up perfectly for Marvel’s next two ambitious projects – Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars. With Clea’s importance in the comics, we can expect her to have a much more significant role in these movies. Her potential is too big to be just a cameo role in a movie, after all.
#5. With Clea, Doctor Strange might find himself a new love interest.
Source: Marvel Comics
Besides, Clea’s appearance might also start a romantic relationship between her and Stephen Strange. In the comic, they get married after defeating Dormammu, and with Strange finally moving on from Christine Palmer in the MCU, it would be reasonable for him to have a new love interest. Their comic relationship is much more than husband and wife, they’re also mentor and student, and it’s interesting to see how their chemistry will work out on the big screen.
What do you think about Clea’s appearance in the movie? Will she have a bigger role in the next MCU entries? Let us know in the comment section below.