In the few years since Scarlet Witch made her MCU debut, the character of Wanda Maximoff has faced a devastating series of losses. From the death of her brother in Age of Ultron , to becoming a fugitive in Captain America: Civil War , to sacrificing the love of her life for the fate of the universe in Avengers: Infinity War , Wanda's experience as a superhero has been anything but easy.
These tragedies will directly impact the character's newest adventure in the upcoming Disney+ series WandaVision , where Wanda Maximoff's unstable state of mind leads her to inadvertently create pockets of alternate realities based on different iconic periods of television history.
WandaVision will be the first series to feature a character from the MCU's films , and aside from being an entirely new way to tell a Marvel superhero story, the show's star is also excited to reveal a fresh take on the Scarlet Witch.
NEWS
In an article from SFX Magazine , WandaVision star Elizabeth Olsen spoke on her hopes for Wanda's character arc in the Disney+ series.
Olsen referenced the talks she had with WandaVision showrunner Jac Shaeffer about this version of Scarlet Witch, comparing it to past iterations of the character:
“Jac really wrote it with me in mind, so it really quickly had Wanda's voice. They wrote really understanding her in a really beautiful way, and the thing that I wanted was already inherent in the story. In the Marvel movies, I've been given really beautiful storylines and arcs. But often I'm like the grounded, emotional character [amid] all the fun, humor, and comedy. And she's not necessarily a funny character. She truly is someone who deals with a lot of questioning of purpose, and grieving and processing. She's a very internal person.”
Olsen then elaborated by speaking on the new opportunities WandaVision gave her in terms of exploring an entirely new side of Wanda Maximoff:
“The thing that WandaVision allowed for me was to really have a good time with her, and find so many elements of her personality: her humor, her flirtation, her sassiness and so many things that the story hasn't required of her. It was really nice to just have playful levity through this, and it be a part of the story.”
WHAT THIS MEANS
It's exciting to hear Elizabeth Olsen speak on all the ways in which WandaVision will showcase a side of Scarlet Witch that audiences have barely seen. Marvel's films have always been about the character first, and fortunately it seems that the creative teams of these new shows are taking every opportunity they can to create uniquely interesting iterations of these fan-favorite superheroes.
From the show's black-and-white cheesy tone of the 1950s, to the bright and family-friendly optimism of 1980s comedies , to everything in between, it will be interesting to see Olsen utilize her talents to portray slightly different versions of Wanda Maximoff from episode to episode.
Scarlet Witch has gone through so many hardships, so it will be refreshing to see the character live through some more joyous experiences, but as the trailers have constantly teased , not everything is as care-free as it seems.
WandaVision is set to premiere on Disney+ on January 15, 2021.
MCU Writer
