Although Wanda Maximoff aka Scarlet Witchwasn’t introduced into the MCU until Avengers: Age of Ultronshe had one of the most interesting character arcs in the franchise. In Marvel Comics, Wanda has fluctuated between hero and villain, though she’s generally a force for good with terrifyingly unstable abilities. His involvement with chaos magic is unpredictable, and the MCU has captured this wonderfully.
The MCU films introduced Wanda as a villain for the first time, although her motivations were later revealed to explain her tragic past and how HYDRA’s awakening of her powers was simply an attempt to protect those she loves. The arc that ensues for the hero and back to the villain is equally tragic, and she’s been dead in the franchise since Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Wanda may return to the MCU, but how, if or when is still unclear.
The creation of Mount Wundagor and the Darkhold
Indefinite Ancient Past
Wanda Maximoff obviously wasn’t alive in ancient times, but the story of Scarlet Witch begins thousands of years ago. In an undefined year of human prehistory, the demon Cthon appears on Earth and carves his forbidden magic into the walls of a temple on Mount Wundagore. Furthermore, there is a throne destined to remain empty until the moment when the Scarlet Witch emerges with the power to bend or destroy all reality.
Nothing of note happens immediately in Wundagore, but some time later (at an unspecified time in human prehistory) this changes. Although there is no Scarlet Witch yet, the forbidden magic carved in Wundagore is transcribed into a horrible book with the potential to corrupt anyone who reads it or uses the power within. The book is called The Darkhold and it has an important role to play in Wanda’s eventual story.
War in Sokovia
March 1999
In Eastern Europe, war rages in the nation of Sokovia. The details of the war, who is among them and what it is for are unclear, but the important thing is that the Maximoff family – Wanda, Pietro and their parents – live a life of constant danger and uncertainty. To help distract your children, the Maximoffs watch American sitcoms over the decades. Although initially a source of comfort for Wanda, the situation worsens and sets up her future trajectory in the MCU.
One day in March 1999, a missile hits Maximoff’s residence. Although it somehow doesn’t explode on impact, the collision kills Wanda’s mother and father and leaves her and her brother alone with the constant threat of a violent death. Clear to Wanda is a logo on the side of the missile – Stark Industries. She doesn’t know who Stark is at this point, but The experience radicalized the twinswho are looking for a way to be stronger and protect their homes.
The Maximoff twins undergo HYDRA experiments
Spring 2014
- Release date
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- Writers
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Stephen McFeely, Christopher Markus
Having grown up in a war zone and witnessing the death of their parents, a feeling of powerlessness leads Wanda and Pietro to seek power to keep themselves and their loved ones safe. Unfortunately, the two encounter modern HYDRA cellswho engage in cruel experiments with the Space Stone to awaken latent powers in the twins.
The experiments are led by Baron Strucker and the results are undeniable. Wanda slowly begins to gain powers associated with Chaos Magicalthough initially it is quite limited in scope and effect. Pietro, on the other hand, gains the ability to move at inhuman speeds. Wanda remembers her experience with a Stark bomb and harbors resentment against the man who profited from so much pain.
The Maximoff twins face the Avengers and team up with Ultron
Spring 2015
When the Avengers attack a HYRDA base in Sokovia, Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver face Earth’s Mightiest Heroes for the first time. Scarlet Witch relies more on illusions and mental tricks than raw power and is capable of psychologically manipulating several heroes. Among them is Stark, whose vision of future destruction plants the seed for the creation of Ultron.
After the Avengers destroy the Sakovian Hydra cell, Wanda and Piero encounter Ultron. The rogue AI hides its true intentions and convinces the twins to help it build a better world. The two work for the metal tyrant and help him obtain the Vibranium needed to form his body to full strength.
Wanda and Pietro join the Avengers and Quicksilver loses his life
Spring 2015-2016
When work on Ultron’s “final” body is completed, he places the Mind Stone in it as a final touch. However, the Stone allows Wanda to finally read Ultron’s thoughts and discover his intentions to eradicate humanity. She and her brother switch sides and help the Avengers stop Ultronwho plans to turn part of Sokovia into a huge meteor. In the fight, Quicksilver loses his life – a devastating death for Wanda, who has already lost so much.
The Lagos tragedy and the introduction of the Sokovia Accords
Spring 2016
After defeating Ultron and having no surviving family, Wanda becomes an official Avenger. Soon after, the team corners Crossbones in Lagos, who reveals himself to be wearing a bomb vest. Wanda uses magic to launch him away from Captain Americabut it hits a civilian building and the explosion causes significant collateral damage.
Largely in response to this, the Sokovia Accords are drawn up, which require all superheroes to officially register with the government. Wanda, the face of the inciting incident, is held at the Avengers Compound, where she bonds deeply with Vision. However, she is freed from confinement by Captain America and joins her efforts against the Accords, putting her in opposition to her closest friend and future lover.
Losing vision
Spring 2018
As Thanos advances in his quest to obtain all six Infinity Stones, the Avengers retreat to take a final stand in Wakanda. With the Mind Stone inside Vision, Shuri, with the help of Banner and Stark, attempts to safely separate Vision from the Stone to destroy it before Thanos can take the powerful artifact. However, his eventual downfall is truly tragic.
First, Vision convinces Wanda that separating him will take too long, and Wanda does the unthinkable, killing the one she loves to save the universe. However, Thanos simply uses the Time Stone to rewind his sacrifice, instead ripping the Stone from his forehead in front of Wanda. Vision dies a much more painful death, and Wanda will have to endure the same tragedy twice. Thanos snaps, and Wanda is among those turned to dust for his efforts.
Revival and confrontation with Thanos
Fall 2023
After the Avengers travel back in time and once again collect the Infinity Stones, Bruce Banner performs a second snap, and the seemingly dead heroes return to fight Thanos one last time at the Avengers Complex. Among them is Wanda, who is desperate for revenge. she confronts the Mad Titan on the battlefield, telling him that he took everything from her, and his unfamiliarity enrages her. She almost defeats Thanosshowing signs that his big power upgrade is coming.
The Westview Incident and the Birth of the Scarlet Witch
2023
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January 15, 2021
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1
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Jac Schaeffer
Although she finds slight relief in Thanos’ defeat, Wanda feels more alone than ever and overcome with incredible grief. She travels to Westview, New Jersey, where she and Vision had already purchased land to build a house and start a new life. By this point, Wanda has lost her parents, her brother, and her lover (twice), and her emotions have driven her to capture the entire city in a powerful spell.
Westview Turns Entirely Into a Rotating Set of Sitcoms in which real people are mentally compelled to participate, but internally aware of their helplessness. Although the action comes from a place of relatable sadness, it is undoubtedly a horrendous event with tragic effects for those around Wanda. She also creates a fictional version of Vision and two children with her magic, who are lost when her Hex is eventually interrupted.
By overcoming the antagonistic witch Agatha Harkness, Wanda reaches an entirely new level of power, finally becoming the prophesied Scarlet Witch with power beyond anything she previously knew. Plunged further into despair by the loss of her husband and magically created children, Wanda turns to the Darkholdthe book of black magic of Cthon. Determined to find her children, even though they are not real in this reality, she clings to her emotional vulnerability.
Darkhold corruption and terror of the multiverse
Fall 2024
Studying the Darkhold leads Wanda to formulate a new plan to find her sons, Billy and Tommy. Although they do not exist on Earth-616, they exist in other realities, and she attempts to capture the timeline-hopping America Chavez to travel to other worlds and take them. Doctor Strange asks Wanda for help, unaware that she is the one putting Chávez in danger. What follows is a bloody path of destruction through diverse realities.
Scarlet Witch proves to be more powerful than even Doctor Strange, who is forced to race Chavez instead of simply defeating Wanda. Scarlet Witch causes immense destruction to Kamar-Taj and kills the Illuminati of Earth-838. Although Darkhold is partly to blame, Wanda has fully returned to villainy on an unprecedented scale.
Death on Mount Wundagore
Fall 2024
Eventually, America Chavez and Strange realize that the only person who can stop Wanda is herself. Chávez opens a portal between Scarlet Witch at her most evil and a version of her children, and her children’s absolute terror at what another version of their mother has become brings her back to reality. Wanda uses her Chaos magic to destroy Mount Wundagor and the Darkhold, collapsing the imposing stone castle on itself and taking her own life in the process.
How Scarlet Witch could return to the MCU
Billy might be the key
When Agatha all the time premiered, many fans speculated that the events of the series would be responsible for Scarlet Witch’s return. Ultimately, she remained dead until the end of Agatha all the timeleaving the question about his return hanging in the air. Kevin Feige has seemingly confirmed that she will return at some point, and Elizabeth Olsen would gladly reprise her role as Wanda if they can figure out how to bring her back.
Although Agatha all the time didn’t bring Scarlet Witch back, the show reintroduced a character who could finally be the key to that. In the series, one of Wanda’s sons, Billy, has essentially been reincarnated into William Kaplan, who is searching for his twin brother, Tommy. At the end of Agatha all the timeBilly can bring Tommy’s soul back into someone else’s body and his journey to find his brother is just beginning. Billy can do the same for Wanda’s soulbut the nature of what it can do would mean it would have to be reworked.
Another way Scarlet Witch could return to the MCU while keeping Elizabeth Olsen as the character is through Aubrey Plaza’s character Death. His resurrection powers were hinted at during Agatha all the time. It is possible that she will bring Scarlet Witch back to life as a way to get revenge on Agatha and Billy for defying her while trying to find Tommy.