Two new heroes were introduced in Avengers: Age of Ultron that signaled the expansion of the MCU: Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch (played by Elizabeth Olsen) and her twin brother Pietro / Quicksilver (played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson). In an interview with Screen Rant while promoting the highly anticipated Avengers sequel, Olsen revealed her dream MCU project would be for the comic House of M to be explored. During the same interview, Taylor-Johnson said that within Marvel films lie many nuances and gems. This effectively ignited hope in fans for a possible X-Men crossover or introduction into the franchise. Dreams were quickly crushed upon learning that, on the one hand, the twins’ powers were granted to them by the Mind Stone, and, on the other, Quicksilver actually died by the end of the movie.

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Though fans lamented Quicksilver’s single-film appearance, the possibility for Taylor-Johnson’s return as Quicksilver has remained intact, even stronger now that the MCU is in The Multiverse Saga. As Mashable reports, this new saga could point to some MCU alum returning in Avengers: Secret Wars. Despite the announcement of Taylor-Johnson starring in the Kraven the Hunter film, another Marvel character for Sony, it’s not completely out of the realm of possibility for him to play Quicksilver again. Considering we’ve seen Variants throughout Loki, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the question is: can Taylor-Johnson make a return to the MCU as Quicksilver?

MCU Contract Changes Since 2015

     Marvel Studios

When Marvel Studios first launched, the original contracts were notoriously lengthy. Famously, Chris Evans stated he originally rejected the role of Steve Rogers/Captain America because his original contract was for nine films. This was common as Phases 1 to 3 of the MCU were heavily reliant upon the original Avengers’ stories leading up to the release of Avengers: Endgame in 2019. With a set amount of films actors were contracted for, it afforded the studio a foundation for the amount of films to tell each characters’ story. More recently, however, per Collider, Marvel Studios has adopted a less intense contract: unlike Evans and Downey, Olsen’s contract sees continuous renewals at smaller intervals, allowing for more flexibility. Even Tom Holland’s Spider-Man contract is undergoing renewals. This could open up room for Taylor-Johnson’s contract to be revisited again.

The Multiverse Saga Defies Death

MCU’s Phase 4 thoroughly established the Multiverse, beginning with whispers in WandaVision, and then expanding further with Loki, What If…?, No Way Home, and Multiverse of Madness. In fact, the latter proved that The Multiverse Saga is the MCU’s chance to defy death. For example, John Krasinski’s short-lived debut of Reed Richards in the MCU, which ended in a quick death, has not stopped Marvel Studios from pursuing its Fantastic Four reboot. As we saw in the film, there are an infinite amount of universes, which stands to reason that a Quicksilver is alive somewhere. Considering how overjoyed fans were at the mere theory of his return in WandaVision (before it was revealed to be Evan Peters), there’s still a slight chance Marvel could bring back Taylor-Johnson at some point.

Avengers: Secret Wars

     Marvel Comics

Fortunately for MCU fans, Avengers: Endgame isn’t the last installment of the Avengers saga. However, Endgame was the final appearance of Tony Stark’s Iron Man and Steve Rogers as Captain America. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier explored Sam Wilson’s journey to accepting the mantle and shield he was bestowed with beauty and complexity. The newly appointed Captain America will return to the silver screen in Captain America: New World Order and Avengers: Secret Wars.

The upcoming fifth installment will have a newly assembled team battling an insurgence of colliding worlds. The 12-part comic series will be condensed, at this point, into one film. While much speculation surrounds the film, like if Evans will return as Steve Rogers or if a showdown between Loki and Kang is inevitable, one thing is for sure: the rules of one actor per role no longer apply to the MCU. This isn’t the first time Marvel has broken outdated Hollywood rules, so any speculation for Taylor-Johnson to return as Quicksilver aren’t necessarily out of possibilities. Consider that Loki is technically dead, but a 2012 version of him is running wild, or at the very least tamed.

Kraven the Hunter

If there’s one reason to doubt Taylor-Johnson’s return to the MCU as Quicksilver, it’s his upcoming leading role in Kraven the Hunter as part of Sony’s Spider-Man Universe (SSU). The film has yet to release, but it has reportedly had positive test screenings, which could signal a hit franchise for both Sony and Taylor-Johnson. That being said, at this point, the SSU and MCU are definitely separate entries, so this isn’t necessarily to say that contracts with one preclude possibilities with the other. However, committing to multiple major franchises, which can involves months of training followed by months of shooting, and then possibe re-shoots, is a lot for anyone to take on. As of right now, fans can only hope for Taylor-Johnson’s return as Quicksilver. The odds are against them, but in The Multiverse Saga, anything can happen.