Who Was The Girl At The End Of Doctor Strange 2: Charlize Theron’s Clea Explained! Charlize Theron made a surprise appearance in the first post-credit sequence of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness as Clea. The character could have enormous consequences for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), as the appearance marked Theron’s debut in the franchise. Here is everything you need to know about Theron’s character and what she could imply for the MCU.
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Charlize Theron, left, at the 37th Annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival at Arlington Theatre on March 04, 2022. Benedict Cumberbatch, right, in “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.” Theron has joined the MCU as Clea and made her debut in the sorcerer’s solo sequel. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ first post-credit scene opens with Benedict Cumberbatch’s hero going down the street, at which time he is met by Theron’s Clea. Clea tells Doctor Strange that he triggered an incursion by going through the cosmos with America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) during the course of the movie and had to come with her.
She establishes a doorway into what looks to be the Dark Realm and Doctor Strange prepares himself for war beside her. As he prepared to fight, Doctor Strange glances at Clea and his third eye opens, a new feature to his magic after he utilized the Darkhold to dream walk and aid Chavez beat Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) (Elizabeth Olsen). Clea originally debuted in the Marvel Comics in 1964 in “Strange Tales” #126. She is a powerful sorcerer who is a fervent disciple of Dormammu—a villain Doctor Strange battled in the Dark Dimension in his first solo movie.
The woman may well be the new leader of the Dark Dimension in the MCU, which would explain why she landed on Earth to demand Doctor Strange travel there with her. Doctor Strange and Clea also establish a relationship in the Marvel books, going so far as to wear magical rings to commemorate their bond for all eternity even if the marriage is not official. Given Cumberbatch’s hero is still in love with Dr. Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams), it’s uncertain if this romance plot line with Clea will ever pan out in the MCU but never say never.
Clea’s Origins & Powers Explained
Clea is a strong sorceress tied to other-dimensional entities, as she’s the daughter of Prince Orini (son of Olnar, the former king of the Dark Dimension) and Faltine fugitive Umar, who is the sister of none other than Dormammu. Umar abandoned Clea with Orini and turned angry, fighting her brother until Dormammu vanquished her and banished her to another realm, so Clea grew up uninformed of who her mother is and admiring her uncle, who her father loyally followed.
Clea met Strange when he was requested by the Ancient One to journey to the Dark Dimension as Dormammu was trying to invade Earth, and Clea, who was charmed by his courage, followed him and cautioned him about encountering her uncle. Clea and Strange became allies, and after a couple of conflicts, including the destruction of her mother and Clea gaining the throne of the Dark Dimension, Clea and Strange exchanged vows and became one according to the laws of the Dark Dimension.
In the comics, Clea first encounters Doctor Strange during his meeting with Dormammu as she observes him from the sidelines and tries to help him, an act that leads to her brief imprisonment by the inter-dimensional creature. Of course, Clea did not appear in the first Doctor Strange movie thus it is unknown how she initially got to know the sorcerer. Clea has the ability to bounce between dimensions, as demonstrated in the post-credit scene, and in the comics, she becomes the ruler of the Dark Dimension after battling her parents Umar and Orini.
As a half-Faltine and half-Dark Dimensional mortal, Clea has a multitude of skills and abilities. Clea can manipulate the forces of magic for different effects, such as transmutation, creating magical energy bolts, magical construction of animate beings, conjuring objects and energies, teleportation, levitation, mind-control, casting illusions, invoking entities or objects of power from other dimensions, and more. Thanks to her training with Doctor Strange, Clea also boasts great knowledge of magical lore and is proficient in hand-to-hand fighting, and she’s also capable of recreating any spell done by Strange.
Clea Appears At End Of Doctor Strange 2: What It Sets Up
Clea is one of the most prominent characters in Doctor Strange’s comic book history not only because of her romance with Strange but because of her links to the Dark Dimension. Dormammu and the Dark Dimension made a cameo in Doctor Strange, and with Dormammu being the strong entity it is (and given that he ended up giving in to Strange’s demand), that surely won’t be his only appearance in the MCU. Clea’s entrance acts as a link between Doctor Strange’s first movie and the current plots in the MCU centered on the multiverse, while also marking a new chapter in Strange’s personal life now that Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams) has gone on.
Among the new concepts, MCU’s Phase 4 is bringing through the multiverse are “incursions”, which as detailed in Doctor Strange 2 are situations where two realities smash into one another. Strange’s use of the Darkhold to stop the Scarlet Witch and save America Chavez (and the universe from more chaos) has provoked a new incursion, and Clea knows how to stop it, but she needs Strange’s help. Clea’s appearance in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness not only sets up an interesting and powerful alliance for Strange as well as a new romance for him but it also paves the way for Dormammu’s return and the MCU properly exploring the Dark Dimension after only visiting it briefly in Doctor Strange.
Charlize Theron’s MCU Debut Explained
While not met with the immediate applause John Krasinski’s Reed Richards garnered, Charlize Theron’s Clea has big repercussions for the Doctor Strange franchise moving forward. For starters, the adventure she’s taking Stephen on undoubtedly keeps the good doctor away from the MCU for the time being. Moving Strange into a Dark Dimension adventure means that the inevitable Doctor Strange 3 will restore the franchise to its beginnings, in that it will presumably be a limited magical quest that happens in the shadows of the human world.
As for Clea herself, this is a funny figure that wears numerous hats. On the page, Clea has been Doctor Strange’s student, significant other, and even successor. She is the offspring of Prince Orini and Umar, the sister of Dormammu, making her the niece of the Doctor Strange (2016) villain. Unlike the Nebulas and Shang-Chis of the world, Clea does not detest her terrible parents: she welcomes them. Clea worships Dormammu and even becomes the Sorcerer Supreme of the Dark Dimension.
The Marvel Vocabulary Grows
As noted above, Clea claims the events of Multiverse of Madness caused an “incursion.” For fans of Marvel comics, this word should pop as much as “Multiverse” or “Avenger.” On the page, incursions are a collision of two Earths. They are triggered when one universe’s character kills his or her own Variant. The first Marvel Comics incursion occurred when one unknown universe’s Molecule Man was killed by Earth-616’s Molecule Man.
Despite her mob affiliations, Clea is not entirely wicked. As noted, she eventually falls in love with Doctor Strange after betraying Dormammu. Without a dimension to call home, Strange would take Clea under his wing in New York City. The good doctor would even teach Clea his mystical ways at the Sanctum Sanctorum, and when he eventually met his end, Clea would take his place as Earth’s Sorcerer Supreme. She would even honor her late lover’s memory by adopting the Strange surname.
In Doctor Strange 2, Earth-616’s Doctor Strange kills Sinister Strange, impaling the evil iteration on a fence outside the Sanctum Sanctorum. If the MCU’s incursions have the same definition as they do in the comics, Marvel fans could be looking at a colossal consequence come Doctor Strange 3.
