Doctor Strange 2 Producer On How WandaVision Sets Up Scarlet Witch’s Story

WandaVision sets up Scarlet Witch’s story in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, producer explains. Elizabeth Olsen returns to the MCU after kicking off Phase 4 alongside Paul Bettany with the aforementioned Disney+ series. And while the upcoming Sam Raimi-directed Doctor Strange sequel puts Benedict Cumberbatch’s sorcerer at the forefront of its storytelling, Wanda Maximoff has an integral role to play.

Plot specifics are still tightly under wraps, but based on the first Doctor Strange 2 trailer, the movie will delve deeper into the concept of the multiverse, which is becoming increasingly important to MCU storytelling. Doctor Strange’s arc in the sequel is set up by Spider-Man: No Way Home and his involvement in Peter Parker’s (Tom Holland) tumultuous journey, but WandaVision acts as the launching pad for Wanda’s story. It’s still uncertain how the events of the Maximoff Anomaly will impact her narrative moving forward, but fans can apparently expect the Darkhold to play a significant part in it.

As per the latest issue of D23 Magazine (via Scarlet Witch News), Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness producer Richie Palmer expands on this idea. He reveals that Wanda’s experience in WandaVision will shape her actions in the upcoming film, with the character more sure of herself and her power than she has ever been. Also, the Scarlet Witch’s new ties to the Darkhold will factor into what’s next in her MCU arc. Check out Palmer’s full quote below:

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.

At this point, it’s still unclear exactly what role Wanda will play in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. She and Doctor Strange are supposed to team up to navigate the multiverse and its complexities, but the film’s trailer teases a more contentious dynamic. In fact, Scarlet Witch – or a variant of her, at least – appears to be actively antagonizing the Sorcerer Supreme, confronting him about the double standard of their abuses of magic. Considering the point she made in the trailer, Wanda has every right to be mad. But, according to Palmer, it appears as if Scarlet Witch’s evil persona is in some way motivated by her connection to the Darkhold.

If this is indeed the case, it’s worth wondering if Wanda knows that the Book of the Damned is corrupting her. When it was revealed in WandaVision‘s post-credits scene that she was studying the spell book after taking it from Agatha Harkness, there were presumptions that she wasn’t fully aware of its dangers. To be fair, no one was there to guide her as she learned how to properly wield the powers of the Scarlet Witch. As she crosses paths with Cumberbatch’s learned sorcerer in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, it will be interesting to see if he will figure out how the mystical artifact is influencing Wanda’s actions.

Source: D23 Magazine (via Scarlet Witch News/Twitter)

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