How Doctor Strange Secretly Set Up Scarlet Witch’s Hex

Doctor Strange secretly set up Scarlet Witch’s Hex in WandaVision. It may have been presented as a sitcom, but in truth WandaVision was probably the first MCU mystery. At first viewers watched in surprise as they explored the fictional world of Westview, trying to figure out just what was going on. Then they were introduced to the detectives who were trying to crack the case, namely Monica Rambeau, Jimmy Woo, and Darcy. Finally, episode 7 began to reveal the truth, as the real villain of WandaVision stepped out of the shadows at last – Agatha Harkness.

WandaVision episode 7 also introduced the idea of something called a “nexus,” most likely a reference to the Nexus of All Realities. In the comics, this is an area where the fabric of spacetime has been described as “exceedingly thin,” allowing sorcerers and mystics to tap into the power of the Multiverse. The final scenes of episode 7 saw Wanda enter the basement of Agatha’s house, discovering what appeared to be a satanic temple of some kind, dominated by what was clearly a book of dark magic.

Surprisingly, all this may have been subtly set up by Doctor Strange back in 2016. This introduced magic into the MCU, and in one key scene Stephen Strange explored the Ancient One’s private collection of forbidden tomes. The film focused on the Book of Cagliostro, which explored the secrets of the Dark Dimension and the Time Stone; but there were several other books the Ancient One kept away from all but the most advanced students, fearful of the dark magic contained within them. As noted by Culture Crave on Twitter, one of these books was clearly missing. This could well be the book Wanda has just stumbled upon beneath Westview.

Notice how the Ancient One stored these books, however; they were kept in mysterious hexagonal containers, which separated each book from its companions – presumably in order to contain its magic and prevent it mixing with the magic of other books. That may well be significant, because Westview itself has been separated from the rest of the world by a hexagonal energy field that has been dubbed “the Hex.” It is quite possible the Hex is serving the same purpose as the containers holding the Ancient One’s books; that it is not intended to keep people out of Westview, but rather to contain the dark magic at loose within the town. In other words, Doctor Strange implicitly suggests the Hex could actually be a protective spell.

This may be more than an Easter egg; if the book found at Westview is indeed the one missing from the Ancient One’s library, then it is reasonable to assume Agatha Harkness was the one who took it. More than just another witch, Agatha could be a member of the Masters of the Mystic Arts who, like Kaecilius, became enthralled with the possibilities offered by dark magic. Where Scarlet Witch’s magic is raw and untamed, Agatha would therefore be a highly experienced and tremendously well-trained sorceress. It may not be easy for Wanda to defeat her in the final two episodes of WandaVision.

About The Author

Thomas Bacon
(4899 Articles Published)

Tom Bacon is one of Screen Rant’s staff writers, as well as a Peer Mentor for new writers and a member of the Care Team, offering support and a listening ear to members of the Comics group. A lifelong fan of major franchises including Star Wars, Doctor Who, and Marvel, Tom is delighted his childhood is back – and this time it’s cool. You can find him on Twitter @TomABacon.

A graduate of Edge Hill University, Tom remains strongly connected with his alma mater as a volunteer chaplain. He’s heavily involved with his local church, and anyone who checks him out on Twitter will swiftly learn he’s into British politics too.

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