Nobody believed Wanda Maximoff was truly dead after Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness — a castle collapsing on top of her? Pfft, that’s like a bop on the head in Marvel terms. And yet Agatha All Along has come along with an attempt to convince us that, yep, the Scarlet Witch has truly met her end. Now, though, nobody believes that she will stay that way. Especially as the potential for her MCU future is so ripe.
Intriguingly, Marvel might just have revealed something of a loose template for Wanda’s eventual return, wherever that may happen, in a new relatively MCU-adjacent release. The second of Marvel’s What If…? novels — of course, inspired by the hit animated series based around alternate realities — has been released and it offers a unique premise. As per the title, What if… Wanda Maximoff and Peter Parker Were Siblings?
While we’re unlikely to see the 35-year-old Elizabeth Olsen and the 28-year-old Tom Holland playing twins on screen anytime soon, the novel from author Seanan McGuire could inform how the prime Wanda can be resurrected and restored to her former reputation.
Marvel’s wildest What If…? scenario unveils the key to fixing Wanda in the MCU
Wanda’s total and sudden turn towards pure evil in Doctor Strange 2 was undoubtedly one of the most divisive twists of the Multiverse Saga so far (as was calling the movie Multiverse of Madness when it only had about five minutes of multiversal madness, but that’s another story). While some loved Olsen getting to play a very different, deeply terrifying side to her familiar character, others were furious over Wanda’s character assassination. Literally, given the film’s ending.
Clearly, when — not if — Wanda makes her grand comeback, Marvel will have its job cut out in acknowledging the darkness of the anti-heroine, but also making sure to rehabilitate her in the eyes of fans. What If… Wanda Maximoff and Peter Parker Were Siblings? offers the perfect blueprint for this as it depicts a variant of the Scarlet Witch who is feared by both the world at large and her fellow superheroes, even if she is genuinely only trying to be a hero and fight the good fight.
Seeing as she’d presumably be freed of the corrupting influence of the Darkhold, a resurrected MCU Wanda would no doubt face a similar situation. After the Westview incident and, you know, her attack on all of reality, the Avengers would be forgiven for finding it tricky to trust her again, so she would have to work extra hard to convince them that she has their back — and isn’t about to restart her hunt for that girl who won Dancing with the Stars. Like, for example, taking on a certain Latverian tyrant who has a bizarre resemblance to a beloved billionaire/playboy/philanthropist?
Whether there is a role for Wanda in Avengers: Doomsday and/or Secret Wars or not, the way forward for Wanda is clear: let her divert from the dark path, although she does deserve a trip down the Witches Road.