Elizabeth Olsen Makes MCU Return In First Appearance Since Doctor Strange 2
Scarlet Witch has always inhabited an unusual space in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Sometimes a villain but more often an ally, Scarlet Witch, a.k.a. Wanda Maximoff, is inarguably one of the most powerful beings in the MCU. Due to her chaos magic abilities, Wanda is able to warp reality to her will and use the magic that flows through the Marvel universe. So, when she died in Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, it was as much of a blow to the in-universe characters as it was to the viewers. But is Scarlet Witch really dead?
Genres like science fiction and fantasy are notorious for character deaths that don’t stick, and the superhero genre is perhaps the most egregious of all. The combination of the emotional impact of a beloved character’s death plus the ability to bring that character back so that the audience remains engaged seems to be too tempting for many studios to turn down. Is Wanda Maximoff one of the characters doomed to this cyclical fate?
Scarlet Witch actor Elizabeth Olsen makes her Marvel Cinematic Universe return after she was seemingly killed off in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Per The Direct, Olsen appeared in the MCU series, What If…? (season 2, episode 8). Olsen voiced the animated variant of Scarlet Witch in an episode titled, “What If…The Avengers Assembled in 1602?” In the story, she pulls Captain Carter (Hayley Atwell) out of her reality when Black Widow attempts to stop her from being taken. Wanda Maximoff asks for Captain Carter’s help to stop the various rifts causing the multiverse to disintegrate, with one rift causing Queen Hela to be sucked into the sky.
While Olsen’s screen time as Wanda was limited, she showcased her full range of powers to try and stop the multiversal rifts from destroying the 1602 universe. Scarlet Witch’s What If…? appearance could potentially be a legacy-defining one for the character in the Phase Four show, which began airing its second season on Dec. 22 of last year.
The fate of Wanda has long been debated among MCU enthusiasts ever since the final stages of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness when she was taken out during a climactic confrontation at Mount Wundagore. An excerpt from The Marvel Cinematic Universe: An Official Timeline claimed the Scarlet Witch died when trying to save her universe from destruction, saying “[Wanda] destroys Wundagore – and collapses it upon herself – ending two great threats to all of the Multiverse.” However, many have disputed her demise.
Despite the ending of the Doctor Strange sequel, Olsen has never completely ruled out an MCU return, despite suggesting she wants to move on from playing Wanda and explore more non-MCU projects. Additionally, an insider report came out last November claiming Marvel has an interest in making a Scarlet Witch film at some point.
Olsen has been a familiar face in the MCU ever since her debut as Wanda in Captain America: The Winter Soldier in an uncredited cameo. She also appeared in several Avengers films, Captain America: Civil War and was the central character in the TV series, WandaVision.
