The utter devastation that Scarlet Witch has caused across the multiverse during Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness may have been a surprise to Stephen Strange, but not to the supremely evil Ultron, one theory argues.
A former ally of Wanda Maximoff during the first third of Avengers: Age of Ultron, it’s been posited that Ultron had known since they met at the raw power Wanda had. More impressively, he was able to know this thanks to some truly classic HAL9000 style robot shenanigans.
Redditor /u/Doglapan_ has put forward a solid claim that this has all been part of Ultron’s plans – and it has decent evidence to back it up.
The idea that Ultron bots can communicate with each other is known from Age of Ultron, and cemented by the events of What If…? as they hunt for remaining heroes, communicating across the multiverse.
The bots in Earth-838 passing on their knowledge as they’re destroyed at the Illuminati headquarters to 616 Ultron would support the idea that artificial intelligence has proof of Scarlet Witch’s powers. However, Ultron pre-emptively placing drones seems a bit fuzzy, considering it ultimately loses at the finale of What If…?’s first season.
Regardless, it’s an interesting way to repose the conflict between the many Ultron variants in both the films and the animated series. Scarlet Witch has become one of the most powerful characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it’s fitting that she (albeit a variant) became the author of her own downfall in Doctor Strange 2.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is currently in cinemas, while What If…? is currently in pre-production for its second season.