Marvel Studios has officially completed its first exclusive entry on Disney+ after debuting the last of nine WandaVision episodes this past weekend . Even with fan theories running rampant regarding what would happen to close out this wild story, Wanda Maximoff completed her transformation into the Scarlet Witch as the MCU brought a deservingly epic conclusion to this show's potentially only season.
The MCU is typically known for bringing some sort of happy ending to close off nearly all of its projects outside the epic oddballs like the Infinity Gauntlet snap to finish off Avengers: Infinity War . However, this wasn't completely the case with WandaVision , which was somewhat appropriate considering everything that happened to the innocent civilians inside the Westview Hex.
According to some recent quotes from the men and women behind this series, that dark feeling is exactly what was supposed to come after the final episode.
WANDAVISION'S LEADERS TEASE SOME DARK TIMES COMING
In a new interview with TV Line , WandaVision head writer Jac Schaeffer expanded on the final scene in Episode 9 after Wanda takes down the Hex walls for good. She spoke on how Marvel CCO Kevin Feige wanted to make sure fans "understand that what she did was terrible" even though she's the show's leading character.
“I think Wanda’s walk of shame back into the town is really powerful, and it was written as such on the page. It was meant to be like an assault of death glares from people, and we were meant to feel how angry they all are. I remember a note from [Marvel Studios chief] Kevin [Feige] being like, ‘More, more, let’s feel that for her, let’s understand that what she did was terrible.
When asked about fans expecting the show to have the classic MCU happy ending, Schaeffer confirmed that this wasn't supposed to happen after everything that Wanda did through this story. Confirming that she's made plenty of mistakes and that there "will probably be reckonings down the line," Wanda is clearly in a world of trouble going forward.
“No, that’s not the story we’re telling, that now [Wanda] is has to make everything OK. It wasn’t about landing her in a way where it’s like, ‘Everything’s wrapped up and squeaky clean, and she’s a hero and has done no wrong!’ She’s done a lot of wrong. And there will probably be reckonings down the line. No, I like how that’s in the gray area of misdeeds that she’s been involved in.”
Additionally, director Matt Shakman touched specifically on the final moments in the episode between Monica Rambeau and Wanda before leaving Westview for good. Shakman reconfirmed that Wanda's "not being forgiven, and she won’t be forgiven," Shakman echoed Schaeffer's sentiments that Wanda is in for a rough time with the world's populous after this story.
"There were many versions of that, for sure, but nothing that was much longer. I think it’s a beautiful scene. We’re not trying to let Wanda off the hook at all. The daggers that she’s getting from every townsperson as she walks through town should clearly show that she’s not being forgiven, and she won’t be forgiven, by them. She understands that.”
HOW WILL WANDA RECOVER FROM THIS SERIES?
For a franchise like the MCU that has a tendency of wrapping stories with a nice happy bow so regularly, the aftermath of WandaVision is undoubtedly one that will make for an uneasy feeling among both fans and characters in-universe
It's obvious that Wanda has plenty to answer for after holding nearly 4000 people hostage for potentially weeks as she worked through multiple stages of grief. Even though Monica makes it clear that she understands why Wanda did what she did, the Scarlet Witch recognizes all the pain she has caused and knows that she won't be seen favorably by the public for some time.
In this light, it's quite telling how much Kevin Feige wanted to make sure this feeling was prevalent, especially from Wanda herself. Coming to grips with the fact that she did something wrong is already taking a toll on her, and it will be quite interesting to see how that helps her evolve further before appearing in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness .
On a larger scale, this could also mark the early stages of the MCU's public harboring of anti-mutant feelings when they arrive in the story at a later date. With Marvel Studios developing The Mutants and Wanda's powers having quite the negative impact on people at the moment, this will be a key sentiment to keep an eye on in the near future.
All nine episodes of WandaVision are now available to stream on Disney+.
