Marvel Studios’ WandaVision gave fans just about everything they were hoping to see in a TV show starring Wanda Maximoff and Vision. The mind-bending series played out the sweet and tragic romance between the two Avengers and saw Maximoff truly come into her own as the Scarlet Witch. However, the magic-fueled show did not feature an appearance from the MCU’s resident sorcerer, Doctor Strange. Given the show’s connection to the upcoming Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, many assumed Strange would make an appearance at some point. Fans have since come up with a myriad of possible reasons as to why he ultimately didn’t cameo, but know we know the real reason.
Throughout the course of WandaVision, viewers were treated to a number of odd TV commercials, which usually appeared at the halfway point of an episode. On the surface, the decade-specific ads appeared to be promoting specific items, but they actually chronicled major events in Wanda Maximoff’s life. Now, Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige has revealed that the commercials were actually meant to be messages Doctor Strange attempts to send Wanda while she’s in The Hex. Feige even revealed that a deal was finalized for Benedict Cumberbatch to reprise the role in the finale.
So why was Stephen Strange ultimately written out, then? Well, during his interview with Rolling Stone, Kevin Feige went on to explain why he and the producers made the last-minute change:
Some people might say, ‘Oh, it would’ve been so cool to see Doctor Strange. But it would have taken away from Wanda. We didn’t want the end of the show to be commoditized to go to the next movie – here’s the white guy, ‘Let me show you how power works.'
Kevin Feige and his fellow producers reasoned that having a Doctor Strange cameo in the finale could have taken away from Wanda’s journey. It’s definitely an understandable decision, especially when you consider all of the other plot points that finale had to balance. Interestingly, Feige also revealed that the choice led to significant rewrites for both WandaVision and Multiverse of Madness. Reworking the productions may not have been easy, but Marvel seems to be pleased with the results. With this, Feige sums up the studios’ creative process as “[A] wonderful combination of very dedicated coordination, and chaos. Chaos magic.”
The Doctor Strange rumors that surrounded WandaVision were honestly hard to ignore. After the series finished its run, Benedict Cumberbatch claimed to be unaware of reports linking him to the show. But the new information we have suggests he wasn’t totally out of the loop.
Those who are still disappointed that Strange didn’t cross paths with the Scarlet Witch shouldn’t worry too much, though. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is sure to give viewers plenty of time with the two magical heroes. And if WandaVision’s post-credits scene is any indication, they’re about to embark on a wild (and potentially emotional) journey.
WandaVision is currently available to stream in its entirety on Disney+.
