WARNING: Potential SPOILERS for Spider-Man: No Way Home follow!
Well, that didn't take long.
Earlier this week, there were reports that the first trailer for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness would be here sooner than many of us expected, and it turns out - this is your FINAL spoiler warning - that it's attached to Spider-Man: No Way Home as a post-credits scene. This isn't the first time Marvel Studios has dropped a surprise like this, as you may recall Captain America: The First Avenger had a mind-blowing first teaser for The Avengers play right at the very end of the film.
We won't be sharing the leaked footage here, but it is doing the rounds online. We're assuming the plan is for an official version to drop later this month, but it's possible this is exclusive to theaters.
Either way, we have a breakdown of exactly what happens in this mind-bending first look at Sam Raimi's return to the Marvel Universe for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness...
Spider-Man: No Way Home Fallout
Familiar dialogue from Spider-Man: No Way Home plays in the background, such as Wong warning Doctor Strange not to cast that spell to make the world forget the wall-crawler's secret identity and Stephen telling Peter Parker that they know frighteningly little about the Multiverse. Meanwhile, the title character's reflection can be seen in the face of his broken watch.
Wong then tells Strange that his "desecration of reality" will not go unpunished, and we see him walk out into a New York City that appears to be collapsing in on itself.
As haunting footage of Strange walking through a derelict Sanctum Sanctorum plays, we hear him explain that he never intended for any of this to happen as snippets of footage show him attending Christine Palmer's wedding, the Scarlet Witch's powers, a bloodied Wong, America Chavez, and what appears to be a one-eyed raven.
Wanda Maximoff Returns
We're then taken to a beautiful farm in the countryside where Doctor Strange has tracked down Wanda Maximoff. She's been expecting him, but Strange isn't there to talk about Westview; he needs her help. He asks what she knows about the Multiverse, which definitely piques her interest.
From there, we're treated to a lot of mind-bending visuals as Strange, Wanda, and Chavez look through a door that appears to be floating through the cosmos. Mordo returns with a new look, and the trailer then features a giant cloud engulfing Kamar-Taj, Wanda suited up as the Scarlet Witch casting a spell in a circle of candles, lots of action, and Strange protecting America from a massive creature in the middle of New York City that's either Shuma Gorath or, more likely, Gargantos.
The best surprise is saved for last, though...
Doctor Strange Supreme
"I'm sorry, Stephen," Mordo says in a voiceover. "I hope you understand. The greatest threat to our universe...is you." With that, we see the MCU's Doctor Strange come face to face with a character who will be instantly familiar to those of you who watched What If...? on Disney+ earlier this year.
It's Doctor Strange Supreme, and he tells Stephen that "things just got out of hand." With that, it appears we have Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' lead villain. We're not sure exactly where this scene takes place, but it's in ancient ruins of some sort as an ominous black cloud swirls in the background. Clearly, this demented Strange managed to escape The Watcher's prison.
It's a terrific teaser, but one can't help but wonder how much misdirection there is here. Strange looks thoroughly perplexed to come face to face with himself, and that's where the teaser ends!