What if… Marvel hadn’t killed off one of the Multiverse Saga’s most complex and celebrated characters so soon? Scarlet Witch‘s dark heel-turn and demise in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was one of the MCU’s most controversial moves in recent years, especially after the universal acclaim of WandaVision, so Marvel fans are rightly ready to throw a hex on Kevin Feige if he doesn’t wave his wand and bring Wanda back soon.
In the meantime, at least Marvel has served up the next best thing: a new Scarlet Witch novel. Inspired by the hit Disney Plus animated series What If…?, the House of Ideas has partnered with Penguin Random House for a new series of novels that each offer a glimpse into, as the Watcher might say, a vast, new reality. The first installment, What If… Loki Was Worthy?, was released back in March and its follow-up has hit shelves as of late August. This one sports an even more ambitious premise: What If… Wanda Maximoff and Peter Parker Were Siblings?
Yes, in terms of wild What If…? scenarios, this is up there with the time Kat Dennings got married to Howard the Duck. In this universe, Wanda doesn’t grow up alongside Pietro (or, in English, Peter) Maximoff, but Peter Parker, after having been adopted by the Queens family as a baby. Come their teenage years, then, Spider-Man is swinging through New York City while the young Scarlet Witch is training under Doctor Strange. But when a mysterious threat who holds the key to Wanda’s past emerges, their found family is at risk of being torn apart.
Make no mistake, Wanda’s name is listed first in the title for a reason, as this is a Scarlet Witch story through and through, despite the prominent presence of one of pop culture’s most iconic heroes. Author Seanan McGuire clearly has a passion for this character, who is often undervalued in the great Marvel pantheon, and she weaves one of the most sympathetic and layered portrayals of the crimson sorceress you’ll find in any medium. Spidey fans, on the other hand, may be left grinding their teeth, but more on that in a moment.
Family is always an intrinsic theme in any Scarlet Witch story, and given the peculiar parameters of this novel, here it manifests in an exploration of adoption and how that can shape a person. The novel’s greatest achievement may well be its dedication to depicting Wanda’s Romani heritage, something that has been all too readily removed from the MCU version (and apparently will be for Robert Downey Jr.’s Doom, too, although that’s another story). Here, Wanda is a child of two worlds, two peoples, and two families, which is a much more nuanced portrayal of her dual nature than the simple “I was good, now I’m evil” of, say, Doctor Strange 2.
Speaking of the good doctor, this novel manages to squeeze in a veritable Avengers movie-sized cluster of cameos from Marvel’s best and brightest. The master/apprentice relationship between Wanda and Stephen Strange is one of the backbones of the book, whereas walk-on parts like Captain America, Johnny Storm, and a gaggle of X-Men are concisely but winningly sketched (did you know Steve Rogers gets nervous in public without his mask? Now you do). Fans of an MCU Eternals character who was supposed to go somewhere but never did will also be pleased.
If there is a letdown to the book’s cast of characters, however, it might just be Peter Parker himself. Typically, Spidey has a serious case of only child syndrome, as he feels he has to carry so much responsibility on his shoulders. In a universe where he grows up with a smart and savvy twin sister, however, it seems Peter becomes a well-meaning, if slightly whiny, adolescent. One who — without getting into specifics — takes an egregious turn towards the unforgivable at one point, all without the aid of a Venom-infected suit. If Tom Holland ever met this Spidey variant, he would put some dirt in his eye.
With an abundance of ideas on the table, and a page count of just over 300, clearly something had to give. Alongside Peter’s characterization, that sadly also includes a satisfying ending. After much of the length is devoted to flashbacks fleshing out the Parker twins’ backstory, the present-day storyline is resolved with extreme swiftness, which might be fitting for a certain face from Wanda’s familial past who reappears, but may leave the reader feeling somewhat underfed when it’s all over at top speed. Kudos to McGuire for a couple of great twists, though — to paraphrase Pietro, you won’t see that coming.
What If… Wanda Maximoff and Peter Parker Were Siblings? is the perfect pacy, breezy read for anyone missing the Scarlet Witch on our screens. And with her former neighbor/nemesis Agatha Harkness returning to streaming this September, it couldn’t be better timed. Finally, we have a universe where Scarlet Witch is infinitely cooler than Spider-Man. Wanda fans, you love to see it. Watch out for the third, and similarly Spidey-adjacent, release in this series come October: What If…Marc Spector Was The Host To Venom?