Wanda Maximoff (Marvel Cinematic Universe)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Wanda Maximoff
Marvel Cinematic Universe character
Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff.jpg
Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch in the miniseries WandaVision (2021).
First appearanceCaptain America:
The Winter Soldier (2014)
Based on
Adapted byJoss Whedon
Portrayed by
  • Elizabeth Olsen
  • Michaela Russell (young)
In-universe information
AliasScarlet Witch
OccupationAvenger
Affiliation
  • Avengers
  • Hydra
WeaponChaos magic[1][2]
Family
Significant otherVision[a]
Children
  • Billy and Tommy Maximoff[b]
OriginSokovia
NationalitySokovian

Wanda Maximoff, also known as the Scarlet Witch, is a character portrayed by Elizabeth Olsen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) media franchise who is based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. In the franchise, Maximoff is depicted as a Sokovian refugee who, along with her twin brother Pietro, volunteers to be experimented on by Hydra. The Mind Stone amplifies her natural telekinetic and energy manipulation abilities known as Chaos Magic.[3] Maximoff initially comes into conflict with the Avengers but later joins them and becomes one of the most powerful members.[4]

Maximoff was introduced in an uncredited cameo during the 2014 film Captain America: The Winter Soldier and has since become a central MCU character, appearing in five films within the series as of 2021. The character also has a lead role in the 2021 Disney+ miniseries WandaVision, a guest role in the Disney+ animated series What If...?, and will also appear in the upcoming film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.[5]

Background[]

Scarlet Witch debuted, alongside her twin brother, Quicksilver, as a part of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants in X-Men #4 (March 1964).[6] They were depicted as reluctant villains, uninterested in Magneto's ideologies. Scarlet Witch was depicted as introverted and disdainful of her teammates. Stan Lee, author of the Avengers comic book, composed the team of Marvel's most prominent heroes. However, he eventually altered the team roster, removing all but Captain America, and added villains from other comics: the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver from the X-Men, and Hawkeye from Iron Man's adventures in Tales of Suspense. The team was known as "Cap's Kooky Quartet."[7] Although common in later years, such a change in the roster of a superhero group was completely unprecedented.[8] Scarlet Witch would now become a lasting member of the team.

Some years later, Avengers writer Roy Thomas started a long-running romantic relationship between the Scarlet Witch and the Vision, considering that it would help with the series' character development. He selected those characters because they were only published in the Avengers comic book, so it would not interfere with other publications.[9]

Adaptation and appearances[]

In the 1990s, Marvel licensed the filming rights of the X-Men and related concepts, such as mutants, to 20th Century Fox. Fox created a film series based on the franchise. Years later, Marvel started its own film franchise, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, focused on the characters that they had not licensed to other studios, such as the Avengers. The main core of this franchise was the Avengers, both in standalone films and the successful The Avengers film. Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch were disputed by both studios. Fox would claim the rights over them because they were both mutants and children of Magneto, the villain of most of their films, and Marvel would claim those rights because the editorial history of the characters in comic books is more associated with the Avengers rather than the X-Men. The studios made an agreement so that both of them would use the characters. It was made on the condition that the plots do not make reference to the other studio's properties: the Fox films cannot mention them as members of the Avengers, and the Marvel films cannot mention them as mutants or children of Magneto.[10] Despite this deal, films in the Fox X-Men series did not feature Scarlet Witch.[11][12]

In May 2013, Joss Whedon considered Saoirse Ronan to be his "prototype" actress for the part, but by August of that year, Elizabeth Olsen had been cast for the role.[13] Olsen has since played Wanda Maximoff in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Olsen noted that when Joss Whedon offered her the role, he said "[wh]en you go home and Google her, just know you will never ever have to wear what she wears in the comics",[14] and, in keeping with this, Maximoff's comic book costume was ignored in favor of more casual clothing. She first appeared, as well as Quicksilver, in a mid-credits scene of the 2014 film Captain America: The Winter Soldier as a prisoner of Baron Strucker (Thomas Kretschmann).[15] Scarlet Witch became a supporting character in the 2015 film Avengers: Age of Ultron, where the siblings initially conspire with Ultron (James Spader), a reflection of their initial villainous roles in the comics, but later defect to the Avengers.[16][17] Quicksilver dies in the ensuing conflict while Wanda goes on to become a member of Captain America's Avengers. She appears in the 2016 film Captain America: Civil War.[18] Both Olsen and Aaron Taylor-Johnson signed multi-picture deals.[19] Olsen reprises the role in the 2018 film Avengers: Infinity War and its 2019 sequel Avengers: Endgame and will appear in the upcoming film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.[20][21] In the films, her powers are telekinetic and telepathic abilities, which she gained by volunteering as a test subject in Hydra experiments to create supersoldiers, by exposing her to the Mind Stone. Therefore, both she and her brother are described in the films as "enhanced humans", as opposed to the naturally-occurring mutants they are in the comics.

By September 2018, Marvel Studios began developing several limited series for Disney's streaming service, Disney+, to be centered on "second tier" characters from the Marvel Cinematic Universe films who had not and were unlikely to star in their own films, such as Scarlet Witch, with Elizabeth Olsen expected to reprise her role.[22] The title of this show was later revealed to be WandaVision, co-starring Paul Bettany as the Vision.[23] It premiered in January 2021.[24] As the show is premised on Maximoff and Vision appearing in a sitcom (apparently constructed by Maximoff to escape her grief over Vision's real-world death), her appearance throughout the series reflects the clothing styles of sitcom characters across different decades of the genre. By the finale, having fully embraced her identity as the Scarlet Witch, Maximoff gains a new costume reflecting a modernized version of her comic counterpart.

Characterization[]

Elizabeth Olsen at Comic-Con 2019, promoting Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

Wanda is first fully introduced in Avengers: Age of Ultron as the twin sister of Pietro Maximoff who can engage in hypnosis and telekinesis.[25][26] Olsen felt Wanda was "overly stimulated" rather than "mentally insane" because "she has such a vast amount of knowledge that she's unable to learn how to control it. No one taught her how to control it properly... she can connect to this world and parallel worlds at the same time, and parallel times."[26] Describing her character's mind control powers, Olsen said that the character is able to do more than manipulating someone's mind, with Scarlet Witch able to "feel and see what they feel and see" by projecting visions that they have never seen. Olsen expanded upon this, saying, "What I love about her is that, in so many superhero films, emotions are kind of negated a bit, but for her everything that someone else could feel—like their weakest moments—she physically goes through that same experience with them, which is pretty cool."[27] Olsen drew on her relationship with her older brother and her sisters to prepare for the role,[26] as well as looking to the comics for inspiration.[28] Olsen revealed that Whedon was inspired by dancers as a way to visually represent how the character moves. As such, Olsen mostly trained with dancer Jennifer White in lieu of traditional stunt training.[29][30]

In Captain America: Civil War, Wanda allies with Steve Rogers against the Sokovia Accords.[31][32] According to Olsen, the character is "coming into her own and starting to understand and have conflict with how she wants to use her abilities."[33] As such, Wanda's costume was "relatively casual" and "more clothes-based than superhero-based" according to Makovsky, since the Russo brothers believed Wanda was not a full-fledged Avenger yet.[34] When asked about the relationship between her character and the Vision compared to the comics, Olsen said, "You learn a little bit more about what connects [Scarlet and Vision] in this film. And I think there's some really sweet moments between Paul and I, and it's more about how they relate to one another and their similarities just based on their superpowers."[35]

In Avengers: Infinity War, Olsen explains that Wanda and Vision have maintained a romance while Wanda remains in hiding and are "trying to within that time find points of meeting in different places in order to try and forward our relationship." Paul Bettany described it as the most emotional arc for the characters.[36] In early drafts of Infinity War and Endgame, the screenwriters had Wanda survive the snap and participate more substantially in the events of Endgame, while still mourning Vision, but this angle was ultimately dropped because "she'd gotten so much mileage and story in the first movie that she didn't really have anything that equaled that in the second."[37]

In WandaVision, Olsen said the character is brought more in line with the comic book version, including depicting her mental illness,[38] while introducing the "Scarlet Witch" moniker that was not previously used in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).[39] Marvel Studios executive producer Kevin Feige said the series explores the extent and origin of Wanda's powers.[38] Olsen felt her "ownership" of Wanda was strengthened during development of the series,[40] which allowed her to explore new parts of the character's personality such as her humor and sassiness. [41] :30 She was thrilled that WandaVision focuses on Wanda rather than making her a supporting character as in the films, and was sold on joining the series when Feige mentioned specific Scarlet Witch comic storylines that inspired WandaVision.[42] Olsen was influenced by Mary Tyler Moore, Elizabeth Montgomery, and Lucille Ball for her performance.[43] Michaela Russell portrays a young Wanda.[44]

Fictional character biography[]

Childhood and origin[]

Further information: Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Previously On

Born in 1989, Wanda grew up with her twin brother Pietro and her parents in an apartment in the country of Sokovia in Eastern Europe during a war. As a child, Wanda enjoyed watching American sitcoms, which her father sold as DVD boxed sets. The family also practiced speaking English in the household, hoping to someday leave their war-torn country and migrate to America. After a missile blew up their apartment and killed their parents, Wanda and Pietro were stuck inside the damaged building for two days after a second Stark Industries missile flew in. However, the missile never went off as Wanda had unknowingly cast a probability hex, turning the missile into a dud. When the twins were young adults, they volunteered as test subjects for Hydra. After being exposed to the Mind Stone, Maximoff's powers were amplified and greater enhanced.

In 2014, Maximoff is introduced as a volunteer test subject in a Hydra facility in Sokovia commanded by Baron Wolfgang von Strucker. She and Pietro are the only survivors of Strucker's experiments using the scepter.

New Avenger[]

Further information: Avengers: Age of Ultron and Previously On

In 2015, the Avengers—Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, Thor, Bruce Banner, Natasha Romanoff, and Clint Barton—raid Strucker's Hydra facility and encounter Wanda and Pietro, with Wanda using her telepathic abilities to interfere with their attack. Stark and Banner subsequently use an artificial intelligence within the scepter's gem to complete Stark's "Ultron" global defense program, and the unexpectedly sentient Ultron, believing he must eradicate humanity to save Earth, recruits Wanda and Pietro, who hold Stark responsible for their parents' deaths by his company's weapons. The Avengers attack Ultron in Johannesburg, but Wanda subdues them with haunting visions, causing Banner to turn into the Hulk and rampage through the city. Ultron travels to Seoul and uses the scepter to enslave Dr. Helen Cho, using her synthetic-tissue technology, vibranium, and the Mind Stone to craft a new body. As Ultron uploads himself into the body, Maximoff reads his mind and discovers his plan for human extinction. She and Pietro turn against Ultron during the subsequent fight with the Avengers to retrieve the new body, and join the Avengers at the Avengers Tower. After Stark, Banner, and Thor cooperate to turn the captured synthetic body into the "Vision", Wanda and Pietro join the Avengers and go to Sokovia, where Ultron has used the remaining vibranium to build a machine to lift a large part of the capital city skyward, intending to crash it into the ground to cause global extinction. Barton befriends Maximoff and encourages her to join the Avengers in the fight against Ultron. Wanda senses Pietro's death and abandons her post to destroy Ultron's primary body, which allows one of his drones to activate the machine. Vision rescues Wanda from the collapsing center of the city, and later destroys the last Ultron drone. Afterwards, the Avengers establish a new team roster at the Avengers Compound led by Rogers and Romanoff, featuring Wanda, Vision, James Rhodes, and Sam Wilson.

Later, Vision visits Wanda in her bedroom, as she is watching sitcoms, and comforts her over Pietro's death.

Avengers Civil War[]

Further information: Captain America: Civil War

In 2016, Rogers, Romanoff, Wilson, and Maximoff stop Brock Rumlow from stealing a biological weapon from a lab in Lagos. Rumlow blows himself up, attempting to kill Rogers, but Maximoff telekinetically contains the explosion and throws it upward, accidentally killing several Wakandan humanitarian workers, to her dismay. As a result, United States Secretary of State Thaddeus Ross informs the Avengers that the United Nations (UN) is preparing to pass the Sokovia Accords, which will establish a UN panel to oversee and control the team. Maximoff is confined by Stark to remain at the Avengers Compound, where she is watched over by Vision, who attempts to comfort her and the two begin to develop romantic feelings for each other. Rogers and Wilson go rogue to aid Bucky Barnes and send Barton to retrieve Maximoff, who rejects Vision's attempts to stop her and goes with Barton. They pick up Scott Lang and meet Rogers's team at Leipzig/Halle Airport in Germany, but are intercepted by Stark’s team where they fight, until Romanoff allows Rogers and Barnes to escape. Maximoff, Barton, Wilson, and Lang are captured and detained at the Raft by Ross, until Rogers breaks them out.

Infinity War and resurrection[]

Further information: Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame

In 2018, Maximoff and Vision have begun a romantic relationship while living off the grid in Edinburgh. They are ambushed by Proxima Midnight and Corvus Glaive, members of the Children of Thanos sent to retrieve the Mind Stone. Rogers, Romanoff, and Wilson rescue them and take them to the Avengers Compound, meeting with Rhodes and Banner. Vision asks Maximoff to destroy the Stone, but she refuses. Rogers suggests they travel to Wakanda, which he believes has the resources to remove the Stone without destroying Vision. As Shuri works to extract the Mind Stone from Vision, Maximoff is tasked to stay and watch over Vision until the Stone is out. After the Outriders invade and overwhelm the Avengers on the battlefield, Maximoff leaves her post to help her teammates, also killing Proxima Midnight. She witnesses the arrival of Thanos and is forced to destroy the Mind Stone and Vision, but her efforts are undone as Thanos uses the Time Stone to reverse her actions, and rips the repaired Mind Stone from Vision's forehead, killing him. Thanos knocks out a horrified Maximoff and activates the completed Infinity Gauntlet, snaps his fingers, and Maximoff disintegrates while holding on to Vision's corpse.

Five years later, Maximoff is restored to life and is transported via portal to the destroyed Avengers Compound to join the final battle against an alternate Thanos. Maximoff confronts him directly, being the first one to successfully overpower him. Maximoff also assists Carol Danvers / Captain Marvel as she tries to transport the Nano Guantlet to the Quantum tunnel. Maximoff then witnesses Stark sacrifice himself to defeat the alien army. Later, Maximoff attends Stark's funeral and reunites with Barton.

Life in Westview[]

See also: WandaVision

The Hex and the WandaVision program[]

Further information: Previously On, Filmed Before a Live Studio Audience, Don't Touch That Dial, and Now in Color

Three weeks after being restored to life, Maximoff finds out that Vision's body was obtained by S.W.O.R.D. and visits their headquarters in Florida to retrieve him. After meeting with S.W.O.R.D acting director Tyler Hayward, she is shown Vision being experimented on, and realizes she can no longer sense him. She leaves and drives to the suburban town of Westview to view a vacant lot Vision purchased for the two "to grow old in" prior to 2018. Overcome with grief, Wanda accidentally unleashes waves of chaos magic that transforms Westview into a sitcom-themed false reality, cut off from the outside world by a hexagonal barrier. She materializes a new version of Vision that lacks any prior memories and starts living in the Hex, where she and Vision are newly-married and try to live their ideal suburban life.

A week later, Maximoff attempts to befriend her neighbors while occasionally needing to conceal her and Vision's powers. She soon becomes visibly pregnant. As Maximoff's pregnancy progresses, she encounters Monica Rambeau, who has been absorbed by the Hex and given the new name "Geraldine". Rambeau helps Maximoff give birth to twin boys Tommy and Billy. However, during the subsequent conversation, when Maximoff mentions her brother Pietro, Rambeau brings up his death at the hands of Ultron. Noticing Rambeau's S.W.O.R.D pendant, Maximoff casts her out of Westview. When Vision returns moments later, he appears as a corpse before Maximoff resets him.

Hunted by S.W.O.R.D.[]

Further information: On a Very Special Episode... and All-New Halloween Spooktacular!

As Maximoff's children age rapidly, S.W.O.R.D. sends a drone into Westview and Hayward attempts to kill Maximoff by firing a missile at her. Enraged, Maximoff exits the Hex, warns Hayward to leave her alone, and emphasizes her point by mind-controlling Hayward's men to turn their guns on him. Rambeau, who empathizes with Maximoff on account of finding out her mother Maria died during the Blip, tries to offer help, but is rebuffed by Maximoff. Back in Westview, Maximoff gets into a heated argument with Vision when he finds out the truth about the false reality thanks to reading a S.W.O.R.D communique at work. The argument is interrupted when a man claiming to be her brother Pietro appears. During the town's Halloween festival, Maximoff reveals to "Pietro" that she doesn't know what happened to her, except that she felt alone and empty, which seemingly made her create the Hex. When Maximoff learns that Vision has breached the hexagonal barrier and is dying, she expands the Hex to save his life, in the process also absorbing the S.W.O.R.D camp and Darcy Lewis into the Hex.

Battle of Westview[]

Further information: Breaking the Fourth Wall, Previously On, and The Series Finale

Due to expanding the Hex, Maximoff starts losing control of it and is surprised to see Rambeau again in Westview, who attempts to warn her about Hayward, as she has discovered evidence that Hayward intends to revive Vision as a weapon. Before they can talk further, Maximoff's neighbor "Agnes" interrupts them and takes Maximoff to her house, only to lure her into an underground demonic lair where she reveals her true identity as the sorceress Agatha Harkness. Harkness puts Wanda under a trance, leading Maximoff through her past. She is forced to relive her memories of trauma and what she had lost throughout her life from her parents' death, her brother's death, Vision, and her new home at the Avengers Compound. Harkness releases her from the trance and Maximoff leaves her house, only to find Harkness holding Tommy and Billy captive on the street. Harkness mocks Maximoff for not knowing the full extent of her own abilities before revealing that her powers are actually chaos magic, which makes Maximoff the mythical "Scarlet Witch", capable of creation from nothing and weaving together numerous high-level spells that then run automatically, all unconsciously. Maximoff attacks Harkness, who reveals that her ability is absorbing magical power, and frees Tommy and Billy. Maximoff is then attacked by the reactivated real Vision, who has been sent by Hayward to kill her, but Maximoff's Hex "Vision" fends him off.

She goes into Westview's town square and is attacked by Harkness, who informs her about a chapter in the Darkhold devoted to her, and states that she is even more powerful than the Sorcerer Supreme, and can destroy the world as the "Harbinger of Chaos". Harkness then frees the Westview residents from the spell, allowing them to reveal to Maximoff that her spell has been causing them to share all her repressed grief and nightmares. Overwhelmed by the residents demanding answers, Maximoff accidentally loses control of her powers and chokes them. Horrified at the realization of what she has done, Maximoff starts bringing down the Hex to free the townspeople, but restores it when Hex Vision, Tommy, and Billy start fading away. S.W.O.R.D. agents and Hayward infiltrate Westview, and after Harkness attacks them, Wanda saves them, and pursues Harkness atop a building. There, Maximoff tries to trap Harkness in a hallucination of 1693 Salem, but it backfires.

Harkness breaks free from the hallucination and Maximoff blasts her, but Harkness retaliates by absorbing her magic energy and life force. Taking the fight into the sky, Harkness attempts to kill Maximoff, but finds that her powers no longer work. It is revealed that Maximoff imprinted protection runes on the boundaries of the Hex, rendering Harkness' magic powerless. Maximoff ultimately claims her true identity as the Scarlet Witch, and imprisons Harkness in Westview as "Agnes" after informing her that she would be back if she needs her. She takes down the Hex and tearfully says goodbye to Tommy, Billy, and Hex Vision. Standing in the empty house lot, she walks into the town square and meets with a sympathetic Rambeau. Maximoff apologizes for the pain she has caused and vows to better understand her powers. She and Rambeau say goodbye and Wanda flies away from Westview, fleeing to live remotely in a mountainside cabin in Sokovia. There, she studies the Darkhold to learn more about her powers, before hearing her sons cry out for help.

Powers and abilities[]

Wanda has the ability to harness chaos magic, which typically presents itself in telekinesis, telepathy, and energy manipulation/projection.[45][46]

In Avengers: Age of Ultron, Wanda's powers are mostly telekinetic and semi-telepathic. She is shown moving objects with her mind and engaging in hypnosis, inducing nightmarish-like images into the heads of four Avengers. She also displays moments of energy projection, including when she took out an army of Ultron's drones with a wave of energy and energy shields to protect herself and Sokovian citizens from the crossfire. At the end of the movie, she is revealed to have learned how to levitate.

In Captain America: Civil War, Wanda's powers have advanced and her telekinesis is strong enough to let her hold up the debris of a falling building as well as fly for brief periods of time. Her energy manipulation now allows her to, in a fight with the Vision, forcibly manipulate his density by controlling the Mind Stone.

In Avengers: Infinity War, Wanda is capable of throwing energy bolts and significantly better control over her ability to fly. Vision explains that due to Wanda's powers being linked to the Mind Stone, she is able to use her powers to destroy it, which she later does. She also is shown to be able to telepathically communicate with the Stone when she tries to figure out why Vision is in pain. During the battle with Thanos' forces, Wanda is able to lift large alien threshers with her powers and use them to crush the Outriders.

In her brief appearance in Avengers: Endgame, Wanda is able to lift large pieces of rubble from the destroyed Avengers Compound and hurl it at Thanos, as well as breaking his sword in half, which has already been shown to be stronger than vibranium. She is able to levitate Thanos into the air and strip portions of his armor off, until he disrupts her efforts by ordering a bombardment of the battlefield.

WandaVision explores Wanda's ability to warp reality like her comic counterpart.[47] Wanda releases waves of chaos magic which accidentally creates a reinforced CMBR force-field (known as "The Hex") over the town of Westview, New Jersey, rewriting everything and everyone inside to be part of her own fictional reality that presents itself as a television sitcom. The rewrite occurs on a molecular level, meaning her powers allow her to manipulate molecules. Darcy Lewis informs Monica Rambeau that her DNA is being molecularly rewritten after she passes through the CMBR field, and Monica develops light-related superhuman abilities after entering the CMBR field a third time. Later, it is revealed that Wanda was born as a witch and would unknowingly engage in basic hex magic as a child. During a trip through her memories with Agatha, Wanda's parents were killed by a missile in their apartment, a second one from Stark Industries came in.[48] Wanda used a simple probability hex to turn the missile into a dud, saving her and Pietro. However, the two were unaware this was because of Wanda's magic. After Hydra experimented on her with the Mind Stone, her powers were enhanced. Agatha tells Wanda that she is the only person who is able to engage in chaos magic, making her the mythical Scarlet Witch.

As she begins to fight Agatha, she embraces her true self, manifesting many new magical abilities such as teleportation, rune-casting and power absorption, with her energy blasts also becoming more concentrated. She has significantly better control over her magic, being able to consciously manipulate reality with ease, such as instantly altering her clothes into her uniform and reverting Agatha back into 'Agnes', this time truly under her will. Wanda is later shown having a secluded life while also using an astral projection of herself studying the Darkhold now in her possession.

Differences from the comics[]

Maximoff in the MCU initially "possesses a drastically different powerset to her comic book counterpart," having been described less as a wielder of actual magic and more as "a Jean Grey analogue, gifted with both telepathic and telekinetic powers," with her abilities in the MCU being derived at least in part from experiments in which she was exposed to the Mind Stone.[49] As of 2019, Magneto and other characters from the X-Men franchise have not been introduced into the MCU because Marvel Studios didn't own the rights for the X-Men until early 2019, and therefore no mention has been made of Maximoff's traditional depiction as the daughter of Magneto.[50]

In addition, the Maximoff twins have been depicted as Romani characters in Marvel Comics since 1979. They were ethnically ambiguous for the first 15 years of their publication history, after which they were shown to have been adopted and raised by a Romani couple. It was later revealed that their biological father was Magneto and their mother was Magda Eisenhardt, a Romani woman he met in a concentration camp during World War II. A later retcon it is shown that Magneto was not their father after all, and they are not mutants. Their mother was actually Natalya Maximoff, the biological sister of the twins' adoptive father. She passed on the title "The Scarlet Witch" to her daughter, and the biological father is assumed to also be from the Romani community. This makes the twins fully Romani by blood.

In WandaVision, however, Wanda is revealed to be a powerful sorceress, the only being currently capable of wielding chaos magic. The series explores her ability to manipulate reality like her comic counterpart. While it is maintained that her abilities emerged from the Mind Stone, in the MCU she is retconned into having possessed the latent ability to wield Chaos Magic since birth, and the Mind Stone simply unlocked these dormant abilities, and her subsequent persistent use of basic telekinesis, telepathy and hypnosis were seemingly an unwitting result of the same unique magical source.

Reception[]

NPR described the character as "a confused and grief-stricken product of experimentation, saddled with powers she doesn't understand and struggles to control, becomes the Scarlet Witch - one of the most powerful figures in the Marvel Cinematic Universe"[51]

Following the release of Avengers: Endgame, Rachel Leishman of the feminist "geek site" The Mary Sue wrote that Maximoff "isn't the most fleshed out of characters because she is often tied down to a male character and very rarely does anything but kill people accidentally," but that Avengers: Infinity War provided "the Wanda Maximoff who understands her placement among the Avengers and her abilities," and by Avengers: Endgame, Maximoff is "taking on her position as one of the new leaders of the Avengers."[52] A Vulture review of the subsequent television miniseries, WandaVision states that "Olsen and Bettany's characters were often treated like benchwarmers on an all-star team in the Avengers movies. Here, they really shine".[53]

Accolades[]

Year Work Award Category Result Ref(s)
2015 Avengers: Age of Ultron Teen Choice Awards Choice Movie: Breakout Star Nominated [54]
2016 Captain America: Civil War Teen Choice Awards Choice Movie: Chemistry (with cast) Nominated [55]
2018 Avengers: Infinity War MTV Movie & TV Awards Best Fight (with cast) Nominated [56]
Teen Choice Awards Choice Action Movie Actress Nominated [57]
2021 WandaVision 2021 MTV Movie & TV Awards Best Performance in a Show Won [58]
Best Fight with Kathryn Hahn Won
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series Pending [59]

Notes[]

  1. ^ Wanda is married to a magically constructed Vision in WandaVision.
  2. ^ Both are magically constructed by Wanda in WandaVision.

See also[]

  • Characters of the Marvel Cinematic Universe

References[]

  1. ^ "WHAT IS THE SCARLET WITCH? WANDAVISION'S "CHAOS MAGIC" REVEAL, EXPLAINED". Inverse. February 26, 2021. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  2. ^ Di Placido, Dani (February 27, 2021). "'WandaVision's' Mysterious Chaos Magic, Explained". Forbes. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  3. ^ Marnell, Blair (February 28, 2021). "'WandaVision': The Scarlet Witch's Powers and Chaos Magic, Explained". collider.com. Collider. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  4. ^ "Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff) On Screen Full Report". marvel.com. Marvel.
  5. ^ Donnelly, Matt (July 21, 2019). "'Doctor Strange' Sequel Billed as First MCU Horror Film at Comic-Con". Variety. Archived from the original on July 21, 2019. Retrieved March 21, 2021.
  6. ^ DeFalco, Tom; Gilbert, Laura, ed. (2008). "1960s". Marvel Chronicle A Year by Year History. London, United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. p. 99. ISBN 978-0756641238. Stan Lee and Jack Kirby decided to try their hands at a pair of reluctant super villains when they created Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver in The X-Men #4.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
  7. ^ DeFalco "1960s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 108: "[Stan Lee] replaced Thor, Iron Man, Giant-Man, and Wasp with Hawkeye, Quicksilver, and Scarlet Witch."
  8. ^ Mark Ginocchio (March 31, 2015). "All-Different Avengers: 10 Most Questionable Roster Moves". Comic Book. Archived from the original on August 5, 2017. Retrieved May 18, 2017.
  9. ^ Walker, Karen (December 2010). "Shattered Dreams: Vision and the Scarlet Witch". Back Issue!. Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing (45): 59–65.
  10. ^ Acuna, Kirsten (April 30, 2015). "Why these two characters are allowed to appear in both the X-Men and Avengers movies". Business Insider. Archived from the original on August 17, 2016. Retrieved April 27, 2016.
  11. ^ Toro, Gabe (April 28, 2014). "X-Men: Days Of Future Past Cuts All Mentions Of Scarlet Witch". Cinema Blend. Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved October 25, 2015.
  12. ^ Sidney Fussell (June 1, 2016). "The most tragic scene in X-Men: Apocalypse has an even sadder comic history". Business Insider. Archived from the original on June 29, 2017. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
  13. ^ Nemiroff, Perri (November 11, 2013). "Elizabeth Olsen Calls Prep Work for Scarlet Witch 'So Much Fun'". Collider. Archived from the original on November 12, 2019. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
  14. ^ Libbey, Dirk (May 5, 2016). "Why Scarlet Witch's Sexy Comic Costume Was Never An Option, According To Elizabeth Olsen". CinemaBlend. Archived from the original on March 10, 2021. Retrieved February 6, 2021.
  15. ^ Milly, Jenna (March 14, 2014). "Captain America: The Winter Soldier premiere: Crossover is the word". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on March 17, 2014. Retrieved March 17, 2014.
  16. ^ "Official: Elizabeth Olsen & Aaron Taylor-Johnson Join Avengers: Age of Ultron". Marvel. November 25, 2013. Archived from the original on March 17, 2014. Retrieved November 25, 2013.
  17. ^ Goldberg, Matt (May 5, 2014). "Avengers 2: Aaron Taylor Johnson & Elizabeth Olsen Talk Quicksilver & Scarlet Witch". IGN. Archived from the original on November 26, 2014. Retrieved July 27, 2014.
  18. ^ Johnson, Zach (April 23, 2015). "Elizabeth Olsen Will Star in Captain America: Civil War!". E! Online. Archived from the original on September 27, 2016.
  19. ^ Goldberg, Matt (May 5, 2014). "Elizabeth Olsen and Aaron Taylor-Johnson Talk Avengers: Age of Ultron, Working on the Accents, Thoughts on the Set Photos, and More". Collider. Archived from the original on September 18, 2014. Retrieved May 5, 2014.
  20. ^ Yang, Rachel (April 24, 2019). "Elizabeth Olsen Says Disney+ Series WandaVision Is Set in 1950s". Variety. Archived from the original on May 5, 2019. Retrieved June 18, 2019.
  21. ^ Goslin, Austen (July 20, 2019). "Marvel announces Doctor Strange 2 for 2021 at SDCC". Polygon. Archived from the original on July 21, 2019. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
  22. ^ Kroll, Justin (September 18, 2018). "Loki, Scarlet Witch, Other Marvel Heroes to Get Own TV Series on Disney Streaming Service (Exclusive)". Variety. Archived from the original on June 5, 2019. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
  23. ^ "Marvel Unveils Post-Endgame Slate with Eternals, Shang-Chi and Multiple Sequels". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 21, 2019. Retrieved July 26, 2019.
  24. ^ Arvedon, Joe (January 1, 2020). "WandaVision: Disney+ Bumps Up Release Date for Marvel Series". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on January 1, 2020. Retrieved January 1, 2020.
  25. ^ "Official: Elizabeth Olsen & Aaron Taylor-Johnson Join Avengers: Age of Ultron". Marvel.com. November 25, 2013. Archived from the original on March 21, 2014. Retrieved November 25, 2013.
  26. ^ Jump up to: a b c Breznican, Anthony (July 16, 2014). "Avengers: Age of Ultron: Why Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch and The Vision will fight the bad fight". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on July 18, 2014. Retrieved July 16, 2014.
  27. ^ Nicholson, Max; Cornet, Roth (March 30, 2015). "Avengers: Age of Ultron – How Powerful is Scarlet Witch?". IGN. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 31, 2015.
  28. ^ Dibdin, Emma (January 31, 2015). "25 things we learned on the set of Avengers: Age of Ultron". DigitalSpy.com. Archived from the original on February 2, 2015. Retrieved January 31, 2015.
  29. ^ White, Brett (January 27, 2015). "COMIC REEL: DOWNEY MAY KEEP "BUMPING ALONG" WITH MARVEL; MOMOA TALKS AQUAMAN'S LOOK". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on January 30, 2015. Retrieved February 8, 2015.
  30. ^ Wickman, Kase (April 9, 2015). "ELIZABETH OLSEN'S 'AVENGERS' TEACHER TELLS US HOW TO GET PERFECTLY SPOOKY SCARLET WITCH HANDS". MTV. Archived from the original on February 5, 2021. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  31. ^ Davis, Erik (March 7, 2016). "'Captain America: Civil War' Set Visit: "This Is the 'Godfather' of Superhero Movies"". Fandango.com. Archived from the original on March 10, 2016. Retrieved March 7, 2016.
  32. ^ Breznican, Anthony (December 2, 2015). "Captain America: Civil War: Chris Evans on Cap's fight to save Winter Soldier". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on December 4, 2015. Retrieved December 3, 2015.
  33. ^ Truitt, Brian (October 3, 2015). "Elizabeth Olsen has big plans for Scarlet Witch". USA Today. Archived from the original on October 7, 2015. Retrieved October 7, 2015.
  34. ^ Schwartz, Terri (August 29, 2016). "Scarlet Witch Isn't Technically A 'Superhero' In Captain America: Civil War". IGN. Archived from the original on August 29, 2016. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  35. ^ Murphy, Desiree (March 31, 2016). "Exclusive: Elizabeth Olsen Teases What Will Happen Between Scarlet Witch and Vision in Captain America: Civil War". Entertainment Tonight. Archived from the original on April 1, 2016. Retrieved April 1, 2016.
  36. ^ Jackson, Matthew (March 26, 2018). "Paul Bettany and Elizabeth Olsen on Vision, Scarlet Witch, and their 'most emotional' Avengers story yet". SYFY WIRE. Archived from the original on October 31, 2019. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
  37. ^ Seddon, Dan (October 29, 2019). "Scarlet Witch almost survived the Blip in Avengers: Infinity War". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on October 31, 2019. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
  38. ^ Jump up to: a b Shattuck, Kathryn (October 11, 2019). "Elizabeth Olsen on Grief, the Scarlet Witch and Her Next Life". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 7, 2020. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
  39. ^ Alter, Ethan (November 5, 2019). "'WandaVision': Everything we know about Marvel's 'first sitcom'". Yahoo!. Archived from the original on November 5, 2019. Retrieved November 9, 2019.
  40. ^ Coggan, Devan (November 10, 2020). "Welcome to the neighborhood: Meet WandaVision's major players". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on November 10, 2020. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
  41. ^ Bennett, Tara (January 2021). "The Odd Couple". SFX Magazine. No. 335. pp. 26–35.
  42. ^ Coggan, Devan (November 10, 2020). "Honey, I'm Chrome: Marvel prepares to take over TV with WandaVision". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on November 10, 2020. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
  43. ^ Radish, Christina (January 11, 2021). "How 'WandaVision' Was Made: Cast and Crew on Iconic TV Influences, Big Swings, and More". Collider. Archived from the original on January 12, 2021. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  44. ^ Robinson, Stephen (February 26, 2021). "The Scarlet Witch stands revealed in the penultimate installment of WandaVision". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on February 26, 2021. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  45. ^ "'Avengers: Age of Ultron': Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch and The Vision". EW.com. Archived from the original on November 13, 2020. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
  46. ^ "Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff) On Screen Powers, Enemies, History | Marvel". Marvel Entertainment. Archived from the original on November 25, 2020. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
  47. ^ "Honey, I'm Chrome: Marvel prepares to take over TV with 'WandaVision'". EW.com. Archived from the original on November 10, 2020. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
  48. ^ Singer, Matt. "'WandaVision': The Coolest Easter Eggs on Episode 8". Screen Crush. Archived from the original on February 27, 2021. Retrieved February 27, 2021.
  49. ^ Bacon, Thomas (October 25, 2019). "Scarlet Witch's Comic Powers Compared To The Movies". ScreenRant. Archived from the original on October 27, 2019. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
  50. ^ Newby, Richard (May 14, 2019). "How Marvel's Next 10-Year Saga Could Unite Avengers and X-Men". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 12, 2019. Retrieved November 12, 2019.
  51. ^ Deggans, Eric. "'WandaVision' Proves Great Superhero Stories Are Just Great Stories, Period". NPR. National Public Radio. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  52. ^ Leishman, Rachel (April 29, 2019). "I Just Want to Share My Love for Wanda Maximoff". TheMarySue. Archived from the original on October 31, 2019. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
  53. ^ Chaney, Jen (January 14, 2021). "Marvel's WandaVision Is a Time-Traveling Delight". Vulture. Archived from the original on January 20, 2021. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
  54. ^ "Teen Choice Awards 2015 Winners: Full List". Variety. August 16, 2015. Archived from the original on June 21, 2017. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
  55. ^ "Wave 2 Teen Choice Nominees!". Teen Choice Awards. Archived from the original on June 20, 2016. Retrieved June 18, 2016.
  56. ^ Nordyke, Kimberly (May 3, 2018). "MTV Movie & TV Awards: 'Black Panther,' 'Stranger Things' Top Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on May 3, 2018. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
  57. ^ Douglas, Esme. "Teen Choice Awards 2018: See the full list of winners". EW. Archived from the original on August 13, 2018. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  58. ^ Bosselman, Haley (May 16, 2021). "MTV Movie and TV Awards Full Winners List: 'To All the Boys' and 'WandaVision' Take Top Honors". Variety. Archived from the original on May 17, 2021. Retrieved May 17, 2021.
  59. ^ Bosselman, Haley; Moreau, Jordan; Shanfeld, Ethan (July 13, 2021). "Emmys 2021: Complete Nominations List". Variety.

External links[]

Retrieved from ""