After Marvel ended their latest phase with the bang of all bangs, 2020 has become a rather dull year for them. Not that it’s their fault, far from it. The COVID pandemic has forced them to further delay all of their upcoming projects, including their television shows they had planned. This has not been a good start for their new phase, but they still have a diamond in the rough for the remainder of this year. This December, we’ll be getting our first MCU show on Disney Plus and from the looks of it, it will probably be the weirdest. Then again, what can you expect with a show that’s starring Vision and Scarlet Witch? If you haven’t seen the trailer for WandaVision yet, I suggest you give it a watch. It’s weird. Like, very weird. However, it’s weird in a way that actually makes me curious.
When it comes to Scarlet Witch, aka Wanda Maximoff, you can always expect things to get crazy. To be honest, I haven’t the faintest idea on where this WandaVision show is going. Vision is dead, Wanda is still grieving, and it looks like the show’s setting is a fantasy of them living as a 1950’s couple. The trailer didn’t give much away, but it’s making me fire away with questions. Is Vision actually returning? Why are characters like Jimmy Woo and Darcy returning? Is this happy fantasy really Wanda’s doing or is someone else behind it? I know I’ll get my answers in December, but when it comes to Wanda, things are never so simple. If you’re a reader of Marvel comics, you know what I’m talking about.
Let’s dive deeper into that, because this is important. Wanda Maximoff is a chief character in the MCU, much more than non-comic fans will realize. Her relationship with Vision is just the beginning of the part she plays in the MCU, not to mention how powerful she is. Let’s just remember one thing here, she is the ONLY Avenger to go one-on-one with Thanos and very nearly kill him. Granted, she was very angry, but that’s exactly why literally everyone in the MCU should fear her. Oh, and how about when she used Thanos’ own war machines to destroy half of his army? She may be young and inexperienced, but she should not be underestimated. As a matter of fact, I reckon Marvel has some serious plans for her.
So what do I mean exactly when I say serious? Well, it all goes back to when Scarlet Witch made a name for herself on the pages of comics. Unfortunately, she’s more remembered for her “less-heroic” acts. She’s had a rather contentious history with not just The Avengers, but other superhero groups, most notably the X-Men. Comic fans will think of storylines such as Avengers Disassembled or House of M. A bit of a spoiler alert if you haven’t read these comics: she basically causes the deaths of a few notable Avengers and says the words, “no more mutants.” With those three little words, she singlehandedly made the mutant race go extinct. Of course, that didn’t sit too well with the X-Men and they were itching for some payback.
When she said those words, over ninety percent of Earth’s mutants lost their powers. This is one of Marvel’s most famous moments, famously called M Day. But why did she do it? Well, it has to do with the two children she had with Vision. One goes by the name of Thomas Shepherd, aka Speed and the other is William Kaplan-Altman, aka Wiccan. Wiccan’s powers are more magic-based, similar to Wanda’s, while Speed is just very fast, much like his uncle Pietro, aka Quicksilver. That makes them the grandchildren of Magneto, but we’ll get to that later.
Let’s just focus on the fact that Vision and Wanda managed to have two children together. Now that makes me wonder how Wanda’s future will be played out in the MCU. I know I’m just speculating here, but the world of the MCU is indeed a comic world and in the world of comics, things get weird. What if Vision was somehow resurrected and this fantasy with Wanda is actually real? We never real got to see their romantic relationship flush out, so WandaVision is clearly meant for that, but how far will Marvel take it? I’m willing to guess that they will take it very far, giving them the happy life they crave, and even throw Speed and Wiccan into the mix. Of course, that will take some time, but it will all lead to a crucial moment in Scarlet Witch’s development.
I’m stretching a bit here, but I reckon Marvel is setting up Wanda to have some happiness, only for it to be taken away from her. When she lost Vision, she was angry and used her powers to devastating measures. Luckily, for the heroes, she used them on the bad guys, but they may not be so lucky last time. In the beginning of Civil War, she accidentally caused the deaths of many civilians, even though she was fighting for the right side. This is because of her inability to control her powers. She means well, but even she doesn’t realize how powerful she is. This sounds like the cliche “very powerful person who can’t control their powers” character arc, but in the case of Wanda, she’s the biggest powerhouse there is.
WandaVision will likely have her explore her powers even further and that will allow her to become more powerful. She’s capable of controlling her powers to a degree, but when she’s angry it’s a different story. Just think about her next movie appearance, Doctor Strange and The Multiverse of Madness. She’ll probably be fighting alongside Doctor Strange for a while, but there’s a strong chance she might turn against him. Why? Well, Doctor Strange is the one who gave Thanos the Time Stone. What did Thanos do with it right after that? He reconstructed Vision’s body, only to rip the Mind Stone from his head, killing him. That makes Doctor Strange indirectly responsible for Vision’s death. Wanda is sure to find out and when she does, she’ll likely lash out against Doctor Strange.
The original Avengers who were mentors to Wanda are either dead or retired. They were the ones who helped Wanda to hone her powers and befriend her. The newer heroes barely know her and are unfamiliar with her powers. Will they be the mentors to her like the original Avengers were? It’s possible, but Wanda is like a ticking time bomb. If Marvel does go the Speed and Wiccan route, it will be a big game changer for Wanda. If she once again loses what she loves, there will be little the Avengers can do to hold her back.
In the realm of comics, the biggest threats The Avengers had to face were one of their own. This is a route the MCU should take and there’s no better Avenger to utilize that with than Scarlet Witch. She’s very powerful and can be very angry. When that happens, The Avengers will be in for the fight of their lives.
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