Some of the most memorable moments in theMCUhave had Elizabeth Olsen’sScarlet Witchat the center. Elizabeth Olsen first appeared as Wanda Maximoff in the post-credits scene ofCaptain America: The Winter Soldier, and has since gone on to become one of the MCU’s most powerful and popular characters.Wanda Maximoff’s journey through the MCUhas been full of tragedy, grief, motherhood and transformation, eventually culminating in her becoming the infamous Scarlet Witch, being corrupted by the Darkhold and ultimately meeting her demise inDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
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Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
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Including her debut inThe Winter Soldierand her final adventure inMultiverse of Madness, Wanda Maximoff made appearances in eight live-action MCU projects. Throughout her eight-year history in the MCU, theScarlet Witch’s most memorable moments have seen her battle as an Avenger, traverse the multiverse, destroy an Infinity Stone and become a formidable villain. Despite her sacrifice in theDarkhold Castle on Mount Wundagore, the Scarlet Witch has been rumored to be returning to the MCU, so many more notable moments may be on the horizon.
10Scarlet Witch Joins The Battle In Wakanda
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Avengers: Infinity Warcaught up withWanda Maximoff and Visionduring their time in hiding from the United States government, though they were pulled back into action when Vision was injured by Corvus Glaive, who Thanos sent to Earth to collect the Mind Stone.In an attempt to remove the Mind Stone, making it safe to be destroyed, Vision and Wanda traveled with half the Avengers to Wakanda. There, Wanda watched over Shuri’s operation on Vision while the Avengers battled Thanos' Outriders, but she couldn’t stay out of the fight for too long.
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Wanda Maximoff eventually abandoned her post and joined the fight on the Wakandan battlefield, using her telekinetic abilities to lift the oncoming Threshers and throw them on to the charging Outriders. This prompted admiration from the likes of Okoye and Black Widow, but left Vision in Shuri’s laboratory vulnerable, allowing Glaive to attack the synthezoid and solidify the result of the overall battle against Thanos. Nevertheless, this Scarlet Witch moment was seriously impressive, providing just a glimpse of the sheer power Wanda would eventually be capable of.
9Scarlet Witch Tears Out Ultron’s Heart
Avengers: Age Of Ultron (2015)
Wanda Maximoff’s first full adventure in the MCU wasAvengers: Age of Ultron, which saw her initially join forces with her twin brother,Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s Pietro Maximoff, and the tyrannical artificial intelligence Ultron. The Maximoff twins joined Ultron in an effort to get revenge on Tony Stark, whose weapons had destroyed their home when they were children, butWanda was able to read Ultron’s mind when Vision’s bio-organic body was being built, and what she saw was terrifying. Wanda and Pietro joined the Avengers in battle against Ultron, but this ended in tragedy.
Evan Peters played Peter Maximoff’s Quicksilver in 20th Century Fox’sX-Menfranchise, and seemed to initially reprise the role inWandaVisionbefore being revealed to actually be an Agatha Harkness-controlled Ralph Bohner.
Pietro Maximoff was killedwhen he moved a car in front of Clint Barton’s Hawkeye to block him and a Sokovian child from being shot by Ultron. Ultron murdering her brother prompted Wanda Maximoff to officially join the Avengers and help them to defeat the robot and his drones.At the end of the battle, moments before Sokovia began to fall from the sky, Wanda found a broken Ultron in a crashed train and tore out his metal heart, comparing that pain to the pain of losing her brother at his hands.
8Scarlet Witch Breaks The Fourth Wall
Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness (2022)
Following her spin as a main character inWandaVision,Wanda Maximoff went on to become the villain ofDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessas the Darkhold-corrupted Scarlet Witch. Using the Book of the Damned, Wanda hoped to stealAmerica Chavez’s universe-hopping powerso that she could travel to an alternate reality where she could be reunited with her children, who were previously magical constructs within her Hex around Westview, New Jersey. This involved the Scarlet Witch dream-walking into the body of her variant on Earth-838 while chasing Doctor Strange and America Chavez.
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The first instance of the Scarlet Witch dream-walking intoEarth-838’s Wanda Maximoff’s bodywas a sight to behold. Earth-838’s Wanda experienced strange events, such as her image in a photograph moving, peas rolling round on a plate and an ocean making waves in a mug.All of this came before the Scarlet Witch fully took over her body, and this act allowed her to break the fourth wall, staring directly at us. This was a chilling moment, far different from the fourth-wall breaks inWandaVisionepisode 7, and teased the limitless possibilities of multiversal travel in the MCU.
7Wanda Maximoff Becomes An Avenger
Avengers: Age of Ultronmarked a milestone in the life of Wanda Maximoff, as this kick-started her career as a bona fide superhero, and started the chain of events that culminated in her becoming a mother and a villain. This all boiled down to one moment, which saw Wanda cowering in fear in a Sokovian building during the battle against Ultron. There,she was met by Clint Barton, who gave her a pep talk about doing good out of choice, and suggested that if she left the building and joined the fight, she would become an Avenger.
Pietro Maximoff’s Quicksilver
Aaron Taylor-Johnson
That is exactly what she did. Wanda Maximoff triumphantly joined the fight, tearing apart several Ultron drones, and joining in with the Avengers' epic team-up moment. Theending ofAvengers: Age of Ultronsaw Wanda Maximoff officially become a member of the Avengers, even taking up residence in Avengers HQ in Upstate New York. Unfortunately,Wanda’s time as an Avenger was short-lived, coming to an end only a year later after joining Team Cap duringCaptain America: Civil War, which culminated in her becoming a fugitive.
6Scarlet Witch Learns The Error Of Her Ways
Wanda Maximoff seemed to justify her actions as thevillainous Scarlet Witch inDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessvery easily, using her desire to reunite with her children as an excuse for hunting America Chavez with the goal of killing her.Her actions were heinous, particularly her sending monsters to chase America, attacking Kamar-Taj and killing many sorcerers, dream-walking to Earth-838 and massacring the Illuminati, and torturing Wong and his friends. Even so, she eventually learned the error of her ways.
Earth-838 was only one of over 20 alternate universes glimpsed inDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. This world was protected by the Illuminati, comprising Professor X, Mister Fantastic, Captain Marvel, Captain Carter, the Sorcerer Supreme and Black Bolt.
During her final battle with the Scarlet Witch, America Chavez gave her exactly what she wanted, using her power to open a portal to Earth-838. This allowed the Scarlet Witch to meet Billy and Tommy from this alternate world, but the young twins were terrified of the monstrous witch, rather than recognizing her as their mother.Seeing the fear in her twins' eyes convinced Wanda Maximoff that she was in the wrong. This was an incredibly emotional and poignant moment which showed the more human and vulnerable side to the twisted Scarlet Witch, which we’d been missing.
5Wanda Maximoff & Vision Say Goodbye
WandaVision (2021)
WandaVisionkicked off the MCU’s Phase 4 in the weeks (in Wanda Maximoff’s timeline) afterVision’s death inAvengers: Infinity Warand the Battle of Earth. In her grief, Wanda inadvertently erected the Hex around Westview, created a fabricated version of Vision, and forced the residents of the town to play out sitcom-style roles.After Agatha Harkness showed her the true personalities of Westview’s residents, Wanda Maximoff brought down the Hex, but this meant that Vision, Billy and Tommy ceased to exist.
Some of Westview’s residents returned inWandaVision’srecent spinoff,Agatha All Along, including John Collins, Sarah Proctor and Sharon Davis.
This marked the second occasion on which Wanda Maximoff and Vision had been forced to say goodbye, following Vision’s demise inInfinity War.WandaVision’sfarewell moment was even more heartbreaking, however,as Wanda and Vision noted that, since they’d said goodbye before, they may say hello again in the future. It was very emotional to see Wanda left completely alone after the Hex was dismantled, though she had been hardened by her experiences in Westview and forged into the Scarlet Witch.
4Scarlet Witch Almost Kills Thanos Single-Handedly
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Wanda Maximoff’s role inAvengers: Endgamewas seriously diminished, given the fact that she spent the majority of the movie being snapped away during the Blip. Even so, Wanda returned to fight alongside theAvengers during the Battle of Earth, and teased some of the sheer strength that would become even more prevalent inWandaVisionandMultiverse of Madness.For Wanda, Thanos murdered Vision only moments ago, so she took her chance to attack him head-onwhen meeting him again on the battlefield.
Why Scarlet Witch Couldn’t Beat Thanos Despite Her Ridiculous Phase 4 Powers
Phase 4’s Scarlet Witch is one of the most powerful beings in the MCU, yet Wanda could not beat Thanos in either Avengers: Infinity War or Endgame.
Wanda used her magic to hold back a full-forced attack from Thanos with his double-sided sword, to launch the sword several yards away and break it, and to throw large piles of rock and debris at the Mad Titan. Most impressively, however,Wanda lifted Thanos himself into the air and began to tear him apart, but was only stopped by Thanos ordering his ship to fire projectilesat the Avengers and his own forces alike. This show of strength from the Scarlet Witch was seriously impressive, as few other heroes came close to taking down Thanos alone.
3Scarlet Witch Destroys An Infinity Stone
Five years before Wanda Maximoff battled Thanos inAvengers: Endgame, she attempted to stop the Mad Titan from acquiring the six Infinity Stones altogether. When Shuri’s operation on Vision to remove the Mind Stone failed,Vision realized that drastic measures needed to be taken, so he urged his love, Wanda, to destroy the Stone with it still embedded in his forehead. SinceWanda’s own powers were enhanced by the Mind Stone, she was the only candidate capable of pulling off this incredible feat, and she did it with ease.
Guardians of the Galaxy(2014)
Soul Stone
Avengers: Infinity War(2018)
Wanda fired one beam of energy at the Mind Stone and another at Thanos, holding him back, until the Mind Stone shattered into hundreds of pieces.No other character in the MCU’s history, except for Thanos, came anywhere near destroying an Infinity Stone, but Wanda did it fairly easily. This marked a huge step forward for theScarlet Witch’s power level in the MCU, cementing her as perhaps the most formidable character in Marvel Studios' roster. While this ultimately turned out to be futile, this was still a remarkable show of strength.
2Scarlet Witch Confronts Doctor Strange In Her Orchard
At the beginning ofDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, it wasn’t clear that Wanda Maximoff had taken a villainous turn, as she was seen innocently tending to a large orchard which is presumably located somewhere in or near Sokovia. Doctor Strange originally approached her with the prospect of her taking in America Chavez to keep her safe from whoever was chasing her, but things took a turn for the worse when Wanda revealed the truth.Wanda removed her magic, showing what the orchard really looked like, a corrupted and twisted landscape housing the Darkhold.
Wanda Maximoff was in possession of the Darkhold for a year betweenWandaVisionandDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
The Scarlet Witch used this opportunity to confront Doctor Strange regarding his recent experiences toying with themultiverse inSpider-Man: No Way Home. She noted how unfair it was that he was still seen as a hero, while Wanda herself is labeled a villain afterWandaVision.This moment showed off just how dark and dangerous the Scarlet Witch had become, setting up her further descent into darknessinDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Her magic was powerful enough to fool even Doctor Strange, making her truly terrifying.
1Wanda Maximoff Officially Becomes The Scarlet Witch
WhileWanda Maximoff’s Scarlet Witch has had many memorable and impressive moments throughout her MCU career, the most impactful and exciting was the moment she fully transformed into the Scarlet Witch inWandaVision’sfinale. Wanda Maximoff found herself battlingKathryn Hahn’s Agatha Harknessin the final episodes ofWandaVision, with the original Salem witch hoping to steal the Scarlet Witch’s power for herself. This seemed to have come to fruition, but Wanda revealed her runes, allowing only her to use her magic, and then reabsorbed her power.
Scarlet Witch’s Current Status In The MCU Explained
With the release of the WandaVision sequel Agatha All Along, conversations concerning Wanda’s status in the Marvel Cinematic Universe have reignited.
Declaring that she knows exactly who she is,Wanda Maximoff reabsorbed her power, which allowed her to fulfill her destiny and become the Scarlet Witch, outfitted in a brand-new costume to boot. At the end of a dramatic season and episode ofWandaVision, it was incredibly satisfying, cathartic and emotional to see the Scarlet Witch finally emerge. This moment will go down in history as one of the most powerful and significant moments not just for theScarlet Witch, but in the MCU as a whole.
Marvel Cinematic Universe
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a multimedia superhero franchise that began in 2008 with Paramount’s Iron Man starring Robert Downey Jr. The franchise quickly grew in popularity, with Disney eventually buying out Marvel Entertainment in 2009. The MCU consists of dozens of movies and TV shows, most notably Avengers: Endgame, WandaVision, and Loki.
