The Scarlet Witch committed some exceptionally questionable deeds in the MCU before departing in Phase 5, but one of her worst may have saved her nemesis from a fate they consider awful, according to one theory. Wanda Maximoff died in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, an event that has been viewed with plenty of doubt, but one that the MCU has repeatedly asserted as true. While the multiverse has somewhat trivialized death in the MCU, there are still other possibilities that could see the Scarlet Witch return.
In the meantime, her son, Billy Maximoff, is continuing Wanda's legacy. Billy has already displayed some incredible feats of power in Agatha All Along, most of which have emulated those of his late mother. Despite his apparent connection to the Scarlet Witch, however, Billy balks at the notion that Wanda is his mother, asserting that the mother of William Kaplan - the person whose body Billy's consciousness inhabits - is his. After discovering the truth of his origin, Billy embarks on a quest to find his brother, Tommy, alongside the ghost of Agatha Harkness.
Billy Changing His Mind About Destroying Agatha's Ghost Looks Linked To His Relationship With Scarlet Witch
Agatha's Pleas May Have Reminded Billy Of His Own Mother
Agatha Harkness was the arch-villain of WandaVision and nemesis of the Scarlet Witch. Agatha All Along, meanwhile, did a lot to humanize Agatha after showing her to be a loving mother to a son, Nicholas "Nicky" Scratch, whom she tragically loses to a mysterious illness after just six years. Still, Agatha continues the villainous activity of draining witches of their power and killing them throughout Nicky's life, before ramping up the practice after his death. This villainy and her guilt could be what causes Agatha to refuse to join him in the afterlife, stating that she "can't face him."
The disembodied voice of Nicky can be heard during Agatha's trial on the Witches' Road imploring her to stop when draining Alice of her power.
Billy halts his attempt to banish Agatha's ghost when she admits this during his ritual. Billy's reticence to accept Wanda as his mother possibly stems from his knowledge of the immoral acts she wrought when alive. Billy may, therefore, have been reminded of his own mother upon witnessing Agatha's guilt, feeling an innate kinship and compassion. In that sense, Wanda's own villainy helped spare Agatha from her fate. On the other hand, the sentiment of not being able to "face" Nicky might have resonated with Billy, who may feel guilty about his own reluctance to meet his mother.
Scarlet Witch's MCU Villain Arc Makes Agatha & Billy's Own Stories Look Different
Scarlet Witch Is Partly Responsible For Billy's Most Questionable Acts
The Scarlet Witch is now inexorably tied to Agatha and Billy Maximoff. Her descent into villainy arguably began in WandaVision, as she unethically enthralled an entire town of unwitting residents to allow her to live her idyllic life with a family. This attracted Agatha to the Westview Anomaly, whereupon she adopted the role of arch-villain before Wanda drained her of her power. The trauma of Wanda's hex, meanwhile, is still felt throughout Westview - something which Billy wishes to distance himself from.
Billy Maximoff debuted as Wiccan in earnest in Agatha All Along, and there are several possibilities for where he will next appear in the MCU.
This causes Billy to, at least on a surface level, assume the identity of another person and adopt his mother. He then unwittingly creates the Witches' Road with chaos magic he seemingly inherited from Wanda to seek out Tommy, rejecting his heritage and unwittingly causing the death of three witches. Agatha goes along with Billy's conjurations to possibly regain her powers, killing one of these witches herself. These morally questionable (at best) acts can be traced back to Wanda's actions in WandaVision.
Agatha All Along's Ending Makes Scarlet Witch's MCU Return Seem More Possible Than Ever
The Timing Has Never Been More Suitable
While it has been confirmed multiple times both inside and outside the MCU, Wanda's death feels less certain than ever after Agatha All Along. Agatha herself helped cast the latest measure of doubt on her death when responding "Yes. No. Maybe." to Billy's question about whether Wanda is really dead. What's more promising is that Billy himself survived death through what appears to be the same chaos magic boasted by Wanda. Furthermore, Agatha has just proved that death - at least in its fullest form - can be circumnavigated by becoming a ghost.
While the latter option is neither preferable nor likely, the permanence of death has been flouted multiple times in the MCU - much to the chagrin of Rio Vidal.
While the latter option is neither preferable nor likely, the permanence of death has been flouted multiple times in the MCU - much to the chagrin of Rio Vidal. Furthermore, bringing Wanda back either during or in time for Vision's upcoming solo series would make much narrative sense. This series will round out a trilogy that began with WandaVision and continued with Agatha All Along, and the Scarlet Witch has played central roles in each so far - meaning this upcoming show would be the ideal place to bring her back for good.
Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the Scarlet Witch debuted, along with her twin brother, Quicksilver in X-Men #4 (March 1964). Also known as Wanda Maximoff, she first appears as a member of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, before she eventually became a member of the Avengers. In the comics, she is a mutant who uses chaos magic to alter reality.
Scarlet Witch is played by Elizabeth Olsen in the MCU, having debuted in Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
Custom image by Ollie Bradley
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