Warning: contains Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness spoilers.
One of the big talking points about new Marvel flick Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has been the post-credits scene that not only hints at what – and who – is to appear next, but also lays a couple of easter eggs and callbacks to one of director Sam Raimi's own films.
We're talking, of course, about Evil Dead actor Bruce Campbell's cameo appearance.
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Campbell appears in two scenes during the movie, including the post-credit scene itself. His introduction to the movie takes place when Strange and America Chavez crash-land into Earth-838 thanks to her multiverse-travelling powers.
Chavez takes a load of pizza balls and grumbles that most universes don’t make you pay for food, before being accosted by Campbell, playing a bad-tempered street vendor who demands money from Chavez. He then accuses Strange of stealing his outfit from Earth-838’s Doctor Strange Museum.
In response, Strange opts to put a spell on Campbell's character, forcing him to punch himself in the face repeatedly.
Thankfully for the stricken street vendor, the next time we catch up with him it would appear that his face-punching curse has come to an end.
While this curse might seem like an innocuous bit of fun, those with memories of Evil Dead 2 may well be joining the dots and recognising a potential callback to an infamous scene in the 1987 film in which Campbell finds himself taking punishment from a possessed hand.
Raimi, of course, directed Evil Dead 2, so it's not a stretch to believe that the curse put on Campbell's street vendor character was a tribute or ode to Ash Williams taking a self-inflicted beating in the horror film.
Back to Doctor Strange, and with the curse finally broken, Campbell looks to the camera and yells, 'It’s over!' – another fun tongue-in-cheek moment for the audience, as it signifies that this is the last cut-scene in the credits and therefore the end of the MCU Phase 4 movie.
The film has had a mixed reception, with quite a few people criticising its dark content for being more harrowing than its 12A rating would suggest. Fans have taken to Twitter to say the movie was a lot more mature than they anticipated.
One person wrote: "How the hell was Morbius 15 and Doctor Strange a 12A?"
Another fan commented: "Just finished watching Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and I need a nap.
"I’m also slightly disturbed at what can pass through as a 12A rating nowadays too, but maybe that’s me being a bit of a granny."
Simon Catling