Elizabeth Olsen raising her arms up as she performs magic as Scarlet Witch in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

WandaVision director Matt Shakman opens up about Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ controversial take on Scarlet Witch’s story.


Wandavision director Matt Shakman opens up about Scarlet Witch’s controversial Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness storyline. Marvel Studios kicked off the Multiverse Saga with their first Disney+ series in WandaVision. The sitcom-inspired series mainly focused on Wanda as she created a fantasy life while dealing with the death of Vision. It remains one of the most unique projects the MCU has come out with thus far.


Despite Wanda’s transgressions in WandaVision, the series primarily depicted her as a sympathetic character. So, it was shocking to see her full villainous turn in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Shakman admits in a new interview with ComicBook that he’s aware of the controversy around how Scarlet Witch’s arc panned out in the Sam Raimi movie, saying that’s how relay storytelling works. Read his full quote below:

I talked a lot to Michael Waldron and I talked to Sam Raimi and we also shared lots of the art department as we were creating the Darkhold and her costume and other things that would continue on, so there was a lot of synergy on it. I’m aware of, certainly, the conversation on the internet about Wanda and her character. I’m so proud of everything we did on WandaVision. That show is really special, working with Lizzie, and telling that story was so unique and fun.

When you’re in this universe, you have to pass the baton. That’s part of the joy of being in the MCU, you run as hard and as fast as you can when it’s your section of the race and then you pass the baton and it’s on to others to tell that story. I think they made decisions they needed to make to make that story work and I thought it was a super entertaining movie.

Related: All 8 Upcoming MCU Movies & Shows Scarlet Witch Could Return In


Why Doctor Strange 2’s Depiction Of Scarlet Witch Was Divisive

Doctor Strange 2 wandavision retcon

At the end of WandaVision, it seemed like Wanda was on the path to redemption. She left Westview and isolated herself from the rest of the world as some kind of penance, but the Darkhold ultimately corrupted her. This resulted in a more ruthless and merciless version of the character in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which was jarring considering WandaVision attempted to make her more of a morally gray character instead of a straight-up villain.

It’s also worth noting Marvel Studios planned Scarlet Witch as Avengers: The Kang Dynasty’s villain originally. However, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness writer Michael Waldron was able to convince Kevin Feige and his team to scrap their original plan and pit her against Doctor Strange instead. Arguably, that would have been a more interesting trajectory for the character’s arc instead of being a secondary character to an already packed sequel in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

Scarlet Witch is supposedly dead in the MCU following her sacrificial play at the end of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. But whether she didn’t actually die or she’s resurrected, Wanda’s return to the franchise is almost already guaranteed. As the crown jewel of this new storytelling phase for the universe, she’s expected to play an important role in the future of the Multiverse Saga, which all started with her personal narrative in WandaVision.

More: Doctor Strange Is MCU Phase 5’s Weirdest Missing Avenger

Source: ComicBook

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