Marvel Studios cannot fix its biggest Scarlet Witch crime from Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, unfortunately. Wanda Maximoff, a.k.a. the Scarlet Witch, has always been the black sheep of the Avengers, and she was painted as a villain a few times before helping Earth's Mightiest Heroes defeat Thanos in Avengers: Endgame. In MCU Phase 4, however, Scarlet Witch finally embraced her villainous side in the Doctor Strange sequel after learning her fate in WandaVision.
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Wanda has been in the MCU since the middle of Phase 2, debuting in Avengers: Age of Ultron alongside her twin brother, Pietro. While he was immediately killed in the 2015 film, she went on to be a member of the Avengers, albeit as a supporting character. In MCU Phase 4, the Scarlet Witch seemed to be finally getting her due after appearing in WandaVision and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Sadly, her progress in the franchise has again been halted as she is believed to have died following her climactic bout against Doctor Strange.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness writer Michael Waldron says Scarlet Witch will eventually return, but she is presently gone, meaning she is once again sidelined. This is a big mistake on Marvel Studios' part as Wanda is arguably Phase 4’s most popular character, with viewers becoming more invested in her personal story thanks to WandaVision. In the MCU's Infinity Saga, Marvel found a way to incorporate Iron Man in as many projects as possible after seeing how much audiences responded to the character. The studio could have done something similar with Wanda, but now she’s been shelved once again, with no indication of when she will re-emerge. If the MCU brings her back too soon, it cheapens the events of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. If she’s shelved for too long, however, Marvel risks the possibility of fans losing interest in her.
Where Could Wanda Appear Next In MCU's Multiverse Saga
Marvel Studios’ best bet is to have the Scarlet Witch return to the MCU sooner rather than later. There are a couple of upcoming Multiverse Saga projects that she can appear in. The most obvious of these is the Disney+ series Agatha: Coven of Chaos, which could see the Scarlet Witch reunited with Agatha Harkness from WandaVision. This possible comeback would keep the character on the mystical side of the universe. The second possibility for her return is in Loki season 2, considering her multiversal shenanigans in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Better yet, though, Marvel Studios ought to just come out and announce another Wanda solo project that would focus on the Scarlet Witch's redemption. There has been a clamor for this since Elizabeth Olsen's magnificent performance as the character in WandaVision. Between Wanda's popularity and the actress's acting chops, this should be a no-brainer.
Marvel Studios already underutilized Wanda in the Infinity Saga, but they were able to justify the decision because they were focusing on the original Avengers. After setting her up to be a pivotal part of the Multiverse Saga, the MCU can't just shelve the character now. If anything, Marvel needs to fix the issue by incorporating the Scarlet Witch into as many projects as possible following her appearance in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.