Ever since Wanda Maximoff, a.k.a. the Scarlet Witch, was seemingly killed off in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, fans have been convinced that she’ll return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Now, Elizabeth Olsen has gone on record stating that she thinks it’ll happen.
Olsen made the comments at SXSW 2023, where she’s promoting her new show, HBO’s Love & Death. When Deadline asked her if Wanda will appear in the upcoming Marvel series Agatha: Coven of Chaos, Olsen responded, “I think I’ll be back.”
However, Olsen appeared hesitant, prefacing her answer with “I don’t ever know how to answer these questions.” The hesitancy could mean she hasn’t officially gotten the call yet—or it could just be a product of Marvel’s notorious enforcement of secrecy.
Later, Olsen elaborated a bit during an interview with Screen Rant. “We can do anything with her now,” Olsen said. “I feel like we’ve done so much … Now we can really have fun. I feel like there’s a lot more humor to be had with her. She’s often the emotion of a story, and so I’m curious to see what we can explore, and hopefully give her some redemption.”
Many fans were unsatisfied by Wanda’s villainous turn—and subsequent death—in Doctor Strange 2, seeing it as an abrupt end to a character who’d been gradually deepening and developing for years. After debuting in Captain America: the Winter Soldier as the subject of a Hydra experiment, Wanda went on to become an Avenger in Age of Ultron, but suffered the twin traumas of the loss of her brother, Pietro, and her lover, Vision, before being blipped in Avengers: Infinity War.
That trauma led to the events of WandaVision, in which Wanda created a false sitcom reality in Westview, New Jersey, where she could raise children with Vision. After being given the Darkhold by the centuries-old witch Agatha Harkness, though, Wanda transformed into the prophesied Scarlet Witch. Corrupted by the Darkhold, Wanda tried to kidnap and kill America Chavez in Doctor Strange 2, so that she could steal America’s multiverse-traveling powers.
Marvel’s decision to kill Wanda off at the end of Doctor Strange 2 was met with backlash by fans, who were disappointed at the way Wanda’s complex, layered character was flattened into a heel for Stephen and America. However, there’s been speculation that Wanda could return in Agatha: Coven of Chaos, which will pick up in Westview where WandaVision left off and focus on Agatha’s story. If Wanda comes back as a variant from another universe, though—which is possible, given that Marvel is in the midst of its Multiverse Saga—that leads to the risk that Marvel’s characters will start to feel disposable.
It’ll definitely be a tricky line for Marvel to walk, but we’re just glad we’re getting Wanda back. Agatha: Coven of Chaos currently has no release date set, but filming is underway.
(via Deadline and Screen Rant, featured image: Marvel Entertainment)
