With the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Infinity Saga now over, some established characters in this franchise will be continuing their journeys on the big screen, while others will make the jump to Disney+. Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch is so far the only character who is officially confirmed to do both, as after the series WandaVision is released, she’ll return in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Regarding the latter project, there’s still a lot we don’t know about it, but according to Elizabeth Olsen, Doctor Strange’s sequel adventure is currently being written. When asked if WandaVision “dovetails” into Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the actress responded:
Yes. Yes, it does. But I don’t... I think they’re writing that right now, but I don’t really know much about it.
Doctor Strange 2 has been talked about ever since its 2016 predecessor came out, and last December, it was reported that director Scott Derrickson had signed a deal to helm the sequel, with Benedict Wong and Rachel McAdams said to be returning as Wong and Christine Palmer, respectively, alongside Benedict Cumberbatch’s Stephen Strange. Then last month, it was not only officially confirmed at San Diego Comic-Con that the project was on the way, its crazy title was also unveiled and we learned Scarlet Witch would play a role in the proceedings.
While one can logically infer that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will involve the Master of the Mystic Arts exploring other realities, evidently the specifics of the story are being hashed out right now, as Elizabeth Olsen informed MTV News. However the story ends up looking, Olsen is “really excited” to get to work with Benedict Cumberbatch, as Scarlet Witch and Doctor Strange have never shared screen time except for one shot in Avengers: Endgame, where they were both seen fighting Thanos’ forces.
Although Scarlet Witch’s “magic” is different from the kind Doctor Strange wields, we’ve seen over the course of four movies just how powerful Wanda Maximoff is, to the point that she was one of only two individuals able to singlehandedly overpower Thanos during Avengers: Endgame, the other being Captain Marvel. So it should be interesting to see how these two characters do opposite of each other, though Scarlet Witch might be acting differently than normal.
Like everyone else who turned to dust at the end of Avengers: Infinity War, Scarlet Witch was resurrected in Avengers: Endgame by The Hulk. Unfortunately, her android lover, The Vision, was not so lucky, as he was killed by Thanos when the Mad Titan ripped out the Mind Stone from his head, thus not making him part of the dusted.
Strangely though, the WandaVision series will see Scarlet Witch and Vision not only reunited, but in a 1950s, sitcom-like setting, suggesting that like her comic book counterpart did in the House of M event, Wanda has somehow altered reality to something more her liking. Along with WandaVision bringing back Kat Dennings and Randall Park as Darcy Lewis and Jimmy Woo, respectively, it’ll also star Kathryn Hahn as a “nosy neighbor” and Teyonah Parris as an adult Monica Rambeau (who was portrayed by Akira Akbar as a kid in Captain Marvel).
Scarlet Witch creating her own reality would also explain how she factors into Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, as Doctor Strange could come across her during his latest journey or turn to her for guidance before he embarks on this adventure filled with horrors around every corner.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness arrives in theaters on May 7, 2021, and WandaVision will air on Disney+ sometime earlier that same year. Keep checking back with CinemaBlend for updates concerning both projects, and you can keep track of what other movies are coming out in Phase 4 and beyond with our handy guide.
