Spoiler Alert: Story Details of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

In Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Doctor Strange takes it upon himself to save America Chavez from a mysterious adversary who wishes to consume the latter’s powers of multiversal travel. However, in a surprising turn, the film reveals in its first twenty minutes that the adversary Strange is after is actually Wanda Maximoff, who has become the Scarlet Witch. The film has met with mixed response and is roaring at box-office; however, some fans are disappointed by how Wanda’s storyline continued after WandaVision. Apparently, a particular sect of WandaVision fans didn’t like the way the film transitioned her into a villain after the show tapped into her personal trauma.

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

However, Multiverse of Madness screenwriter Michael Waldron, has spoken in favor of these fans, understanding their dilemma and, to some extent, their frustration over the change in Wanda’s character arc.

Speaking to The Playlist, Michael Waldron said:

The idea of Wanda suddenly turning into a villain, into someone who doesn’t hesitate in killing, felt swift to the fans. The trailers have mostly presented Wanda as Strange’s assistant in the film and fans expected them to unite to fight a common enemy. However, seeing Wanda turn into the real villain shocked them, especially when her character had already gone through a series of painful experiences ever since her birth.

I guess I would say to the WandaVision fans, like, I get it. Watching a character you love do bad things sucks. That elicits a strong feeling, which is what we’re trying to do in the movies. We never would have done it if it didn’t feel like the next step in her character journey.

Was Wanda’s Character Arc in Multiverse of Madness Justified?

     Image via Marvel Studios

In the final post-credits of WandaVision, Wanda was seen studying the Darkhold, while hearing screams of her “children.” The sequence did suggest that Darkhold will lead her to take extreme measures to bring her kids back. And that’s what happened in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The Darkhold showed her how other universes within the multiverse could lead her to a reality where her kids exist without magic.

WandaVision tapped profoundly on Wanda’s grief, loneliness, pain, and loss. It dived into her state of mind, which was disoriented given that all she had suffered in her life was trauma. First, it was the war she grew up with in Sokovia. Then there were experiments that Strucker did on her and her brother. When she found her true purpose, she lost her brother, and then was forced to kill Vision, her last love, to save the planet. But, even that meant nothing.

All of that combined led to the Westview anomaly. Though by the end of WandaVision, Wanda held herself responsible and guilty of hurting Westview residents, she didn’t seem to get over her grief, which probably was the reason she turned in Multiverse of Madness.

Michael Waldron also has a similar interpretation of Wanda’s arc, which he followed with in the film.

It wasn’t really that Wanda’s arc wasn’t justified; however, the shorter runtime of the film and greater focus on Strange and Chavez didn’t allow Wanda to really lose grip on right and wrong. WandaVision’s post-credits would suggest that Darkhold corrupted her in the meanwhile; however, for a character that central to the story, this particular phase transition should have been explored to a certain depth.

To me, my interpretation of the story of WandaVision was, that Wanda is confronting her grief in that show, but I don’t think she’s necessarily conquering it. It’s a show about her living in denial to some extent, and she’s conquering her denial, but I don’t think that she’s properly reckoning with her anger over what she’s endured, and that anger is what she carries with her as she walks away with the knowledge that she is the Scarlet Witch and with the Darkhold, this evil book.

Waldron clarifies that Wanda in Multiverse of Madness is being preyed upon by Darkhold and the book has corrupted her beyond limits. Her journey to have her kids back has sent her on a dangerous route of vengeance against her unfair life. It seems very reasonable but probably some of her fans couldn’t take it well.