Summary
WhileDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ final note for the Scarlet Witch has long since been rumored not to be quite so final, a new report suggests that the long-awaited and highly anticipated return might not be in the way fans expect.
While 2022’sDoctor Strangesequel saw a lot ofthe Marvel franchise’s more interesting cameosas new faces join Benedict Cumberbatch’s titular hero in a more experimental Marvel Cinematic Universe project, the true star of the narrative was Wanda Maximoff. Fresh off of finally ascending to her comic book moniker as the Scarlet Witch following the events ofWandaVision,Wanda would take on a villainous new guise in the sequel, willing to do whatever it took to get back the children she had so briefly during her time in Westview.This would put her at odds with Doctor Strange whenher machinations required sacrificing America Chavez for her ability to traverse the multiverse, starting a conflict that would end in Wanda’s repentance and apparent demise.
By her own admission,Elizabeth Olsen doesn’t miss playing the Scarlet Witch in the MCUfollowing the character’s fate at the end ofDoctor Strange 2but would be willing to return to the franchise, and a new rumor seems to indicate how the fan-favorite actress could potentially do both. As reported byComicBookMovie, there have been murmurs that Olsen’s return to the MCU might not be as the Scarlet Witch at all but instead as the character Virginia Vision. This new character could potentially be debuting in Vision Quest, the WandaVision spinoff set to follow Vision following the parent show’s conclusion.
The return of Robert Downey Jr. as the MCU’s Doctor Doom has already altered the field of possibility for new roles in the franchise, and this is one case where there’s a very interesting dynamic to be explored.Olsen’s return was always one of many expectations forVision Quest, but the idea that she could potentially debut as Virginia is certainly more interesting than previously expected. Vision’s journey to humanity takes on some very radical turns in the comics, and the idea that Virginia could make her way to the MCU in the same project rumored to bring back Ultron certainly seems to point to the possibility that fans could be getting an adaptation of those stories. Vision’s first solo outing could be important to establish the character’s position ahead of the next mainlineAvengersprojects, whether it be explaining his potential absence or putting him in the right place to help fight back against a new threat.
While the choice between the two potential returns is interesting, either one coming to fruition is still a matter of speculation, and the objective choice is clear. The truth of the situation is thatWanda has long since fulfilled her destiny inWandaVisionand brought her story to a conclusion inMultiverse of Madness,for better or worse. It is for the best that Olsen returns in a new role, especially given how closely related the two are. Whether or not any of this makes it to the screens is still up in the air, and fans can only wait to see for themselves.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessis available to stream on Disney+.
