One recurring criticism to have been leveled at the Marvel Cinematic Universe over the last 14 years is the general lack of dramatic or emotional stakes in the majority of the franchise’s movies, something that’s been increasingly rectified since Tony Stark breathed his last in Avengers: Endgame, and will continue in this weekend’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
WandaVision and Moon Knight both left Disney Plus subscribers in floods of tears at various points, while Loki and Spider-Man: No Way Home each pulled at the heartstrings for a number of different reasons, but producer Mitch Bell has claimed in an interview with the LA Times that those with an affinity for Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch will be left heartbroken by the time Sam Raimi’s mind-bending sequel draws to a close.
“Wanda has always been a huge character, and people love Lizzie as Wanda, but WandaVision expanded her. It made her more of a real character. The fans were excited about seeing her and where she goes after that. You want to make sure that people laugh, and you want to make sure that people have a really good time. Adding the grief aspect of it just [means] more emotions. … That [makes] fans more attached to the characters. … They’re going to be heartbroken by a few things in this movie.”
Olsen’s popularity among the MCU faithful has skyrocketed since WandaVision premiered early last year, with the actress now one of the internet’s favorite characters if the regular outpouring of love on social media is any indication, but does that mean we have reason to be concerned about her fate in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness? Thankfully, there’s not long left until we find out.