Amid the retooling of Kevin Feige’s Marvel Cinematic Universe, the superhero giant has just announced an entire Scarlet Witch series. The fan-favorite character will return this year for an all-new event, which Marvel says “will give her devoted fanbase all the chaos magic they can handle!”
Credit: Marvel Studios
Wanda Maximoff, AKA the Scarlet Witch, has been part of the Marvel canon for decades. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, Scarlet Witch made her Marvel Comics debut in “X-Men #4” (1964). Since then, she has been a staple part of comic books and, in 2014, transitioned into live-action, played by Elizabeth Olsen.
Olsen debuted as Wanda Maximoff in the post-credits scene of Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) and went on to star in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), and Avengers: Endgame (2019). Olsen, along with Paul Bettany (Vision), were also the first major Marvel stars to have their own series on Disney+.
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WandaVision followed Wanda and Vision’s journey as parents. Eventually, it was revealed that the town in which they lived was manipulated through Wanda’s powerful magic caused by her immense grief for Vision, whom Thanos killed in Infinity War. The star then returned as the main antagonist in Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness (2022) alongside Benedict Cumberbatch (Dr. Stephen Strange/Doctor Strange). It was here that Wanda was seemingly killed as she destroyed the Darkhold.
But all is not lost back in the pages of the comics, as Marvel recently announced a new series featuring the Scarlet Witch. Arriving in mid-June, “Scarlet Witch” is written by Steve Orlando with art by Jacopo Camagni. Orlando previously worked on the anniversary limited series, “Scarlet Witch & Quicksilver.”
Credit: Marvel Comics
“Further developing the exciting status quo introduced in her previous run, Scarlet Witch’s role as hero to the helpless continues… but magic always has consequences,” Marvel.com writes. “Behold everything that makes Scarlet Witch the most feared sorceress in the Marvel Universe as she defends her new calling from mystical threats, new and old!” The story sees the Scarlet Witch residing in New York before facing a new primal force that threatens everything she holds close.
Orlando revealed how thrilled he was to be back working on a Scarlet Witch title and promises “blockbuster storytelling” with Wanda going up against “one of Marvel’s most powerful and climactic entities” (per Marvel.com).
Credit: Marvel Studios
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Wanda’s personal journey with power and magic is something that the comics and live-action projects have in common. In the MCU, Wanda Maximoff realized her true powers when facing off against Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn) in the finale of WandaVision and then put that newfound sorcery to the test in Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness.
The future of Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch is uncertain. The character seemingly perished under a stone tower in the Doctor Strange sequel, but one flash of light suggests that she survived the collapse. Being one of the MCU’s most popular entities makes it likely fans will see her again, and, in fact, there are multiple places she could reappear–including her own film.
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Later this year, Kathryn Hahn will return as Agatha Harkness in Agatha All Along on Disney+. This new series will continue the story from WandaVision, offering a glimpse at Agatha’s life post-hex. Further down the line, Marvel Studios will eventually return to the Avengers with Avengers 5 (2026) and Avengers: Secret Wars (2027).
It is unclear if Marvel has changed the trajectory of the franchise following the many blows it has taken over the last few years. The low box-office performance of certain titles, plus the controversy and ousting of Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror, has left the franchise somewhat untethered. But all is not lost. On Valentine’s Day, Marvel dropped the eagerly-awaited cast of The Fantastic Four (2025) with Pedro Pascal, Vaness Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach taking on Mister Fantastic, Invisible Woman, The Human Torch, and The Thing, AKA Marvel’s First Family.
Credit: Marvel Studios
