Producer describes how WandaVision builds up Scarlet Witch’s tale in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. After opening off Phase 4 with Paul Bettany in the aforementioned Disney+ series, Elizabeth Olsen returns to the MCU. While Benedict Cumberbatch’s sorcerer is at the center of the next Sam Raimi-directed Doctor Strange sequel, Wanda Maximoff also has a key role to play.
The plot of Doctor Strange 2 is still being kept under wraps, but based on the first teaser, the film will dive more into the notion of the multiverse, which is becoming increasingly essential in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The storyline of Doctor Strange in the sequel is set up by Spider-Man: No Way Home and his role in Peter Parker’s (Tom Holland) traumatic trip, but WandaVision serves as a jumping-off point for Wanda’s adventure. It’s yet unclear how the events of the Maximoff Anomaly will affect her story in the future, but fans should anticipate the Darkhold to play a key role.
Richie Palmer, the producer of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, builds on this notion in the newest issue. He says that Wanda’s time in WandaVision would influence her behavior in the future film, with the character feeling more confident in herself and her authority than she has in the past. In addition, the Scarlet Witch’s new links to the Darkhold will play a role in her MCU arc’s next chapter. Here’s the rest of Palmer’s quote:
Wanda has been through a lot, and by the end of WandaVision, she got to a place of self-actualization. She really knows who she is now. We last saw her studying the Darkhold, a dangerous book of witchcraft. […] Where that will take her next, and whether she will be touched by her own madness, is one plot thread of the new film.
It’s still unknown what part Wanda will have in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness at this time. The film’s teaser hints at a more acrimonious interaction between her and Doctor Strange as they negotiate the universe and its complications. In fact, Scarlet Witch – or at least a variation of her – appears to be purposefully provoking the Sorcerer Supreme, questioning him about their magical atrocities’ double standard. Wanda has every right to be enraged, given the argument she made in the trailer. However, according to Palmer, Scarlet Witch’s malevolent attitude appears to be influenced in some manner by her ties to the Darkhold.
If this is the case, it’s worth considering if Wanda is aware that she is being corrupted by the Book of the Damned. When it was revealed in the post-credits scene of WandaVision that she was studying the magic book after receiving it from Agatha Harkness, there were rumors that she wasn’t completely aware of its hazards. To be honest, no one was present to help her learn how to properly handle the Scarlet Witch’s powers. It will be intriguing to see whether Cumberbatch’s wise sorcerer in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness can find out how the magical object influences Wanda’s behavior.
