Ever since 2008, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has continued to grow and emulate the expansive source material. Part of that has been due to the expansion into streaming, with MCU series and animation adding to the film series extensively. Marvel Studios has also obtained the rights to franchises like X-Men and the Fantastic Four, allowing it to finally deliver a universe with few limitations. Due to the rapid rise in content, Marvel Studios has also introduced many new characters to its already lengthy roster, including Shang-Chi and Moon Knight.
While it’s been exciting to see new comic book characters receive their time to shine in mainstream projects, it’s also hurt the franchise, since so much of it connected in the previous saga, leading to unrealistic expectations. Avengers: Endgame managed to include every central character who played a notable role in The Infinity Saga that began with Iron Man. Next year, Marvel Studios will release another Avengers film with an extensive cast. However, it’s unlikely to feature every character from the last few years. Avengers: Secret Wars is also likely to ignore recent additions to the MCU, with obvious candidates like Eternals and Echo. The subsequent Avengers films may not connect to everything, but they still have the chance to be the biggest projects Marvel Studios has ever produced. Furthermore, while there’s a ton of ground to cover, there’s one major MCU cliffhanger the Avengers franchise must address in the coming years.
Scarlet Witch Is One of the Most Powerful Characters in the MCU
One of the most incredible feats of the MCU is the sheer number of characters the franchise has introduced, along with all the powers they possess, presented in new mediums. In 2015, Joss Whedon brought Wanda Maximoff into the fold with Avengers: Age of Ultron. While the character wasn’t the most well-known comic book character to general audiences, her later appearances have made her a prominent figure.
“I think it’s interesting, if you look at Endgame, Wanda Maximoff was going to kill Thanos. That’s as scared as I’ve ever seen Thanos, and if he hadn’t said Decimate my entire team to get her off of me, I think she would have done it.” — Kevin Feige explaining why Scarlet Witch is the most powerful hero in the MCU.
As the MCU expanded into television, she was the first character to receive her own series, where she further demonstrated her great power. Not every superhero introduced in the MCU has been all-powerful, but Wanda is, and it’s put her on a fascinating trajectory in the MCU thus far.
Scarlet Witch Seemingly Died in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) is looking pretty spooky in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of MadnessImage via Disney
Elizabeth Olsen has played Wanda many times in the MCU, and in WandaVision, she finally became the Scarlet Witch and donned a more comic-book-accurate costume. After the Disney+ series, Wanda appeared in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness as the antagonist, motivated to reunite with her kids through the multiverse. The Doctor Strange sequel was one of the first times the MCU portrayed an Avenger as a true villain, and Scarlet Witch certainly fit the bill with her manipulation of the multiverse throughout the film.
With the help of America Chavez, Doctor Strange faced Scarlet Witch, which led to her defeat. Due to Scarlet Witch’s chaos magic, she brought down Mount Wundagore and herself to destroy all the different versions of the Darkhold. Since the film didn’t explicitly show Wanda’s death, many believe she’s still alive; however, she has been noticeably absent from the Sacred Timeline since. Furthermore, Agatha All Along indicated that the version of Wanda is, in fact, dead. However, many characters, like Loki, have returned from the dead in the MCU before, and Wanda’s death doesn’t appear as it seems, since it would be a pretty disappointing end, given her power level and impact on the franchise.
Elizabeth Olsen Denied Her Return As Scarlet Witch, but Recently Appeared in Another Marvel Project
The initial Avengers: Doomsday cast reveal featured a long line of names on chairs, but one notable name missing was Olsen’s. While Marvel Studios would likely keep a possible Scarlet Witch appearance in Avengers: Doomsday a surprise for the film’s release, the actress also shared she was not set to return a few months ago. Of course, Olsen could also be throwing fans off the scent and filming her scenes during additional photography. But so far, there’s been no indication of a role for Scarlet Witch in the next Avengers film. Furthermore, Avengers: Secret Wars has not begun filming as far as we know, and that’s another place where Olsen could reappear as the character.
While Olsen remains unconfirmed for any upcoming MCU projects, she did voice Scarlet Witch for Marvel Zombies, where she played a significant role as the Red Queen. Marvel Zombies hit Disney+ recently, but Olsen recorded lines for the series years ago. Not to mention Marvel Zombies was set in an alternate reality outside the Sacred Timeline.
Olsen has portrayed Scarlet Witch in numerous MCU projects over the years, and many stars in the franchise have grown tired of their superhero roles. Nonetheless, Olsen is not one of them, and she still wants to return as the character in a future project. There have also been rumors of a Scarlet Witch film floating around. Still, where the franchise currently stands, the next likely place for her to appear is either in the VisionQuest series or in the upcoming Avengers films. If the MCU is leading toward a grand finale, then the character deserves to be part of it.
The MCU Can Finally Explore Scarlet Witch’s X-Men History
Image via Marvel Comics
Back during the days of Avengers: Age of Ultron, Scarlet Witch was one of the few X-Men characters Marvel Studios had access to, since she was also a prominent member of the Avengers in the comics. As a result, the MCU could still portray Wanda, her powers, and her relationship with Vision, but the franchise has yet to fully explore her true comic book backstory as the daughter of Magneto. In the years since Scarlet Witch’s MCU debut, Marvel Studios regained complete control of the X-Men franchise, which paves the way for an exciting future for the character, something Marvel Studios architect Kevin Feige previously hinted at.
“There really is so much more to explore. We still haven’t touched on many of her core storylines from the comics. Anything’s possible in the multiverse! We’ll have to see.” — Kevin Feige on the future of Scarlet Witch in 2022.
Scarlet Witch notably played an instrumental role in the House of M storyline, where she wiped out the existence of mutants, sparking popular theories about how the MCU could approach the missing race. There’s also the opportunity to explore her dynamic with Magneto, who’s set to appear in Avengers: Doomsday, played by Sir Ian McKellen. Since the MCU is also set to reboot the X-Men, the upcoming Avengers films are the perfect place to finally tap into other aspects of the Scarlet Witch’s history that fans have been longing to see on the screen, before it’s too late. The MCU has delivered many crowd-pleasing moments throughout its run, and a moment between Olsen and McKellen would instantly rank among the best.
No MCU films have faced more pressure than the next Avengers sequels. Not only will the movie attempt to do Doctor Doom justice with its biggest star, Robert Downey Jr., but it will also aim to conclude several decades of Marvel storytelling by including Fox’s X-Men actors. While there’s a lot on its plate already, and plenty of characters already confirmed to appear, not including Scarlet Witch would be a massive missed opportunity. There’s so much a Scarlet Witch appearance could add to the Avengers story, from a connection to the X-Men to a further exploration of magic intertwined with Doctor Doom’s key role.
Based on the mysterious whereabouts of Scarlet Witch in the MCU, it’s more likely than not that she will return in a surprising fashion. Furthermore, the Scarlet Witch could play a crucial part in setting up the MCU’s next era, where the mutants will undoubtedly dominate. Few characters have undergone the journey Wanda has in the MCU, and the fact that she’s a fan-favorite with more exciting comic book history to explore on screen should make her a top priority at Marvel Studios for an imminent return.
- Cast
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Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Tom Holland, Paul Rudd, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner, Scarlett Johansson
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The Marvels
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Marvels, Deadpool & Wolverine, Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts*
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Echo