Several different versions of Wanda Maximoff’sScarlet Witchhave been introduced to theMCU. Since her debut in 2014’sCaptain America: The Winter Soldier, Elizabeth Olsen’s Wanda Maximoff has become one of the most popular characters in the MCU, and has proven time and again that she is one of the most powerful beings in the franchise. Following her starring role inWandaVisionandDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, theScarlet Witch’s popularity has only increased, spurring hopes that she’ll return to the MCU despite her emotional sacrifice.
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Zombie Scarlet Witch
Wanda Maximoff has been central to some of the MCU’s biggest storylines, having been featured as an Avenger during battles against Ultron and Thanos, and having opened the door for the multiverse to be explored in Phase 4. Her officialevolution into the Scarlet Witchwill be remembered as one of the MCU’s most impactful moments, but her demise has created the opportunity for new variants to be developed. Elizabeth Olsen will return to the MCU to voice theScarlet Witch in a 2025 Marvel Animation show, which will release prior to Wanda Maximoff’s much-anticipated live-action return.
4Earth-838’s Wanda Maximoff
Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness (2022)
The only other live-action version of Wanda Maximoff introduced to the MCU alongside Elizabeth Olsen’s original character helms from the alternate reality of Earth-838.Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessmarked tragedy for 838-Wanda Maximoff, as the Scarlet Witch from Earth-616 dream-walked into her bodyin an effort to track downmultiversal traveler America Chavezand her protector, Doctor Strange. This leads her to the headquarters of Earth-838’s Illuminati team, most of whom are brutally murdered by the Scarlet Witch in 838-Wanda Maximoff’s body.
Earth-838’s Illuminati included John Krasinski’s Mister Fantastic, Patrick Stewart’s Professor X, Hayley Atwell’s Captain Carter, Lashana Lynch’s Captain Marvel, Anson Mount’s Black Bolt and Chiwetel Ejiofor’s Sorcerer Supreme Mordo.
WhileWanda Maixmoff returned home to her children, Billy and Tommy, after the Scarlet Witch ceased her dream-walking, Earth-838’s Maximoff family was once again met by the Scarlet Witch when America Chavez opened a portal to this reality. Giving the Scarlet Witch exactly what she wanted, a way to reunite with her children, who were both created and ceased to exist inWandaVision, America Chavez forced Earth-616’s Wanda Maximoff to see the error of her ways.She was comforted by Earth-838’s Wanda Maximoff before returning to Mount Wundagore and sacrificing herself.
The MCU Can Still Deliver On Scarlet Witch’s Dark Prophecy
Wanda Maximoff can still fulfill the Scarlet Witch prophecy through the Earth-838 version of Wanda, whose powers were unlocked in Doctor Strange 2.
Following the events of 2022’sDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, there has been speculation about the MCU revisiting Earth-838 to reveal what happened in the wake of the Scarlet Witch’s attack on the Illuminati.While it was Wanda Maximoff’s body that attacked the superhero team, it’s unlikely the citizens of Earth-838 would blame her, as it was Earth-616’s Scarlet Witch’s doing. This could lead some formidable838 heroes to travel to the MCU’s Sacred Timelineseeking vengeance, which could be a crucial storyline in Marvel Studios' upcomingAvengers: DoomsdayandSecret Wars.
3Wanda Merlin
What If…? Season 2 (2023)
Wanda Merlin is the most recent version of the Scarlet Witch introduced to the MCU, debuting as the version of the character originating from the medieval-themed universe of 1602 fromWhat If…?season 2.Wanda Merlin used her Chaos Magic to open a portal that allowed Captain Carter to arrive in 1602, tasked with tracking down a Forerunner whose existence in the time period was causing a devastating incursion event to grow exponentially. Wanda Merlin wasn’t the focus ofWhat If…?season 2, episode 8, “What If… the Avengers Assembled in 1602?,” but still had a crucial role.
Wanda Merlin played a pivotal role in returning Rogers Hood, a time-displaced Captain America, back to his original timeline and preventing an incursion. It’s unclear whether Wanda Merlin will return in theupcomingWhat If…?season 3, or whether even more variants of the Scarlet Witch will appear, as she wasn’t featured in the series' first trailer.Scarlet Witch-related characters, including Agatha Harkness and Vision, will seemingly have a large role, however, so it’s very possible new variants of the Scarlet Witch could debut inWhat If…?season 3.
Why Marvel Just Removed The X-Men From Their Most Interesting MCU Debut
The final MCU release of 2023 should have featured Marvel’s X-Men, but a major change to the original comics left them on the cutting room floor.
In Marvel Comics’Marvel 1602storyline from 2003, Wanda Maximoff is not the magical Merlin-like character, but rather a nunand a follower of Enrique, the High Inquisitor of the Spanish Catholic Church and this universe’s version of Magneto. Sister Wanda and Petros are secretly Enrique’s children, a fact he hid from them, just as they were in the main Marvel Comics universe prior to 2015’s retcon which establishedWanda and Pietro Maximoffas genetic experiments of the High Evolutionary. Wanda Merlin’s role inWhat If…?season 2 was very different to her Marvel Comics counterpart.
2Zombie Scarlet Witch
What If…? (2021-23) & Marvel Zombies (2025)
Thezombified version of the Scarlet Witchwas first seen in the MCU inWhat If…?season 1, episode 5, “What If… Zombies?!” This iteration helmed from a reality that found itself overridden by a zombie virus brought back from the Quantum Realm by Janet Van Dyne and Hank Pym at the time of 2018’sAnt-Man and the Wasp.This virus infected many of Earth’s most powerful heroes, including Wanda Maximoff, who was kept hidden and fed by Visionbefore breaking free when Spider-Man, the Black Panther and Ant-Man’s disembodied head took the Mind Stone.
Other heroes transformed into zombies inWhat If…?andMarvel Zombiesinclude Tony Stark’s Iron Man, Steve Rogers' Captain America, Doctor Strange, Clint Barton’s Hawkeye, Ikaris and Carol Danvers' Captain Marvel, among others.
Zombie Scarlet Witch is later transported to an uninhabited universe along with a horde of other zombies to distract Infinity Ultron during his rampage across the multiverse, andshe becomes the only survivor of Infinity Ultron’s planetary explosion before being captured by Doctor Strange Supreme and held captive in his Sanctum InfinituminWhat If…?season 2, episode 9, “What If… Strange Supreme Intervened?” During battle against Captain Carter and the Tesseract-empowered Kahhori, the zombified Scarlet Witch was sent back to her own universe, where2025’sMarvel Zombiesseriesmay pick up.
Why Scarlet Witch Still Became A Marvel Zombie (Despite Mind Stone Powers)
Avengers: Age of Ultron and WandaVision both demonstrate that Wanda has a connection to the Mind Stone. So why is she susceptible to the zombie virus?
Marvel Zombieswill mark Elizabeth Olsen’s return to the MCU, as she will reprise her voice role as Zombie Scarlet Witch in the animated series. Since heroes and villains retain their superpowers even when transformed into zombies, theScarlet Witch as a zombie is an even more terrifying prospect who has been theorized to be leading the other hordes of zombies. She will be opposed by new teams ofheroes inMarvel Zombies, which is expected to span four episodes and premiere on July 27, 2025, developing this variant of the Scarlet Witch more than others.
1Wanda Maximoff’s Scarlet Witch
Earth-616’s Scarlet Witch Debuted In Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
The most developed and most well-known version ofWanda Maximoff’s Scarlet Witchis Earth-616’s original version of the character. Portrayed by Elizabeth Olsen in seven live-action MCU projects, Wanda Maximoff is one of the most troubled but powerful beings in history.Wanda was born a witch, and inadvertently used her probability-based abilities to stop a Stark Industries bomb from exploding and killing her and her brother, Pietro, when they were children. This kick-started a vendetta against Stark, which led the Maximoff twins into the arms of HYDRA.
Wanda Maximoff’s childhood in Sokovia was explored inWandaVisionepisode 8, “Previously On,” which revealed Wanda’s love of sitcoms and explained more about whyWandaVision’sstory unfolded in the way it did.
HYDRA’s experiments with the Mind Stone in Sokovia enhanced theScarlet Witch’s natural abilities, giving her access to Chaos Magic, while Pietro Maximoff was given super-speed abilities. The twins initially fought against the Avengers, but helped the superhero team defeat Ultron after learning his true intentions, culminating in Pietro’s sacrifice and Wanda’s recruitment into the Avengers team.She formed a romantic bond with Vision, who she was forced to kill inAvengers: Infinity Warbefore Thanos turned back time and killed him again.
All this loss amounted to a huge amount of grief bubbling inside Wanda Maximoff, who inadvertently unleashed herChaos Magic powers, shortly after Thanos' defeat in the Battle of Earth, to erect her Hex around the sleepy New Jersey town of Westview, where she and Vision had planned to live.WandaVisionsaw Wanda hold Westview’s residents hostage, forcing them to play out sitcom-style scenarios in an effort to have a happy life with Vision and their kids, but this all came to a head when Agatha Harkness revealed herself and attempted to steal Wanda Maximoff’s power.
10 MCU Movies & Shows Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch Could Appear In After Her 2025 Return
Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch return has been confirmed for a 2025 MCU project, and Wanda Maximoff could appear in more Marvel shows & movies after.
WandaVisionsaw Wanda Maximoff officially embrace her role as the Scarlet Witch, a being destined to rule or destroy the world, which she learned more about inDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.After traveling to Mount Wundagore, Wanda learned more about the prophecy of the Scarlet Witch, but also sacrificed herself, killing herself to destroy the Darkhold Castle and every multiversal copy of the book.Elizabeth Olsen has teased her MCU returnas theScarlet Witch, which is very exciting as she is a fan-favorite and one of Marvel’s most formidable and significant characters.
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.
