Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness featured the villainous turn of Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch. After initially starting out as a villain in Avengers: Age of Ultron, Wanda Maximoff eventually sided with Earth's Mightiest Heroes to defeat the titular foe. Since then, Wanda has been a vital member of the team, but she suffered major losses throughout her journey that ultimately led to her heel turn that began in WandaVision.
Multiverse of Madness pushed the terrible actions of the Scarlet Witch to the forefront, showcasing an insane kill count and a destructive attack on Kamar Taj. However, Wanda eventually realized her grave actions, leading to her ultimate sacrifice at the end of the movie.
While fans are still speculating on whether Scarlet Witch is truly dead, new details about the character's role in the larger MCU have been revealed.
Scarlet Witch vs. The Avengers?
During the Marvel Studios Assembled episode of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, head writer Michael Waldron talked about Wanda Maximoff's original role in the sequel while also teasing the original plan for the character.
Waldron first admitted that they knew they "wanted Wanda to be in it," confirming that there was a version where the Avenger "was maybe gonna turn bad at the end:"
“We knew that we wanted Wanda to be in it. I think originally, there was a version where Wanda was maybe gonna turn bad at the end. That was a big change that I made and had a strong perspective on."
The Loki Season 1 writer also revealed that Marvel initially wanted to use Wanda as a villain in another MCU flick, potentially in the next Avengers movie. However, Waldron believed that the best time to use Wanda as an adversary was in the Doctor Strange sequel:
"Making her a villain from the get go. It was always like, ‘Well that’ll happen in an Avengers movie or something.’ My perspective was, ‘Why are we letting some other movie get the best villain ever?’
In the same documentary, Scarlet Witch actress Elizabeth Olsen shared that she was initially "shocked" upon learning that the Scarlet Witch is the villain of Multiverse of Madness:
“We were about to go back to finishing WandaVision. I was pitched the actual story of Doctor Strange. And I was shocked. No one told me that their plan for me was to be the villain.”
The MCU veteran also justified Wanda's motivations in the sequel, saying that "all she wants is something that seems so simple and small:"
“It was an exciting opportunity because it’s really fun playing people with moral ambiguity… She is one of the most powerful beings that’s ever existed. Why does that mean that she now has to settle for just being good, when all she wants is something that seems so simple and small, which is to be with her kids?”
Rachel McAdams, who portrays Christine Palmer in the film, explained why Marvel is an expert when it comes to its villains, revealing that "you find yourself siding with them at times:"
“That’s just one of the things Marvel does so well and better than anyone, is that their villains, you know, you find yourself siding with them at times. You’re like, ‘Wait, I feel bad for you,’ or ‘Well, they have a really good point, you know, Thanos has a… he has a really good point.’ So, I feel like they’ve built that with Wanda so well, where you just feel for her and her struggle. It’s just a very filled-out character that, I think, makes you feel a lot of complicated things. Those are always the best villains.”
Will Scarlet Witch Return as a Villain or a Hero?
Michael Waldron has long been an advocate of Scarlet Witch's villain turn in the MCU. The Marvel writer previously shared that Wanda's descent into villainy was always something that the MCU was headed toward, similar to the character's trajectory in the comics.
Waldron also reacted to the fan backlash over Scarlet Witch's evil deeds, saying that it was "an accelerated descent into madness" but pointed out that it's earned due to WandaVision's ending.
If Wanda returns at some point in the MCU's future, it is unknown if she will still be a villain or if she will be fully redeemed. It's likely that Marvel will not revisit Wanda's villain turn again, especially after her impressive portrayal in Multiverse of Madness and her debut as an initial foe in Age of Ultron.
A potential return in Avengers 5 could also be in the cards, with the Scarlet Witch making a triumphant comeback to help her friends against an unknown threat. This kind of return could be a fitting way to fully redeem the MCU hero while also acknowledging what she did wrong.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is now streaming on Disney+.
