WandaVision Retcons Age Of Ultron’s Ending For Scarlet Witch

The events of WandaVision episode 8 paint a very different picture for how Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) fared after Avengers: Age of Ultron, effectively retconning her ending from that film. After weeks of speculating about how the Hex came to be, WandaVision episode 8, “Previously On”, finally provided some answers, though not in the format fans likely expected. The installment picks up with Wanda in Agatha Harkness’ (Kathryn Hahn) clutches and reveals the witch also seeks answers about the Hex’s creation. To get them, she has go back through Wanda’s most traumatizing memories.

The third of those memories takes place in the aftermath of Age of Ultron, Wanda’s full introduction to the MCU. The climactic battle of the film dealt her quite a blow, as her twin brother Pietro (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) died while protecting Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and a young boy. This, of course, arrives on top of Wanda already losing her parents and enduring difficult experimentation at the hands of Hydra. However, Age of Ultron nonetheless gives Wanda a happy ending: She joins the newest iteration of the Avengers and seems genuinely pleased with her turn towards the light. It’s a heroic moment, one that’s meant to inspire smiles and excitement.

And yet, WandaVision episode 8 shatters that illusion in a quiet, but devastating scene. Wanda and Agatha revisit an occasion where the powerful new Avenger sits alone in her bedroom at the upstate compound, rewatching the classic sitcoms she used to enjoy with her family. As the present Wanda describes her situation, “Pietro was dead, I was in a new country, I was all alone.” Vision (Paul Bettany) joins her a moment later and offers some words of comfort, but the fact remains: Following Age of Ultron, Wanda was struggling with the weight of her grief. In the memory, she describes it as a wave continuously pulling her under, and she’s worried she’ll drown.

The closing scene of Age of Ultron gave the impression Wanda was, if not completely recovered from Pietro’s death, at least on the way to moving forward. WandaVision‘s trip back through her memories reminds viewers this isn’t the case. Wanda’s MCU journey has been all about trauma, with one devastating blow after another befalling her. It’s no surprise that, underneath even the heroic moments, even when Wanda has seemingly found happiness with a new team, her grief still lingers. With this new WandaVision scene in mind, it’s hard to look at Age of Ultron‘s ending the same way.

Additionally, the moment lends some new shades to Captain America: Civil War. That movie kicks off when Wanda, still struggling to understand her powers, accidentally kills a group of people in Lagos. Though Age of Ultron presents her as a hero in control of the magic she wields, Civil War sets her back. The memory from WandaVision supports why she could make that mistake so easily. Wanda’s still struggling with Pietro’s death, and despite whatever support she might have received from her fellow Avengers, she still feels hopelessly isolated. It’s a sobering image for the MCU’s most powerful hero, but one that deepens her characterization in a meaningful way. Time and time again, WandaVision has taken care to explore Scarlet Witch’s trauma on a level the movies haven’t even touched, and it is one of the best parts of the series, even if it puts a damper on past MCU moments.

About The Author

Rachel Labonte
(3420 Articles Published)

Rachel LaBonte is a news, feature, and movie review writer for Screen Rant with a deep passion for film and television. A graduate of Emerson College, she majored in Media Arts Production while specializing in screenwriting. She’s been a writer ever since high school when she realized she was rather good at it and joined as many entertainment news clubs as she could while in school. Most notably, she wrote for Emerson’s website Emertainment Monthly, and one of her film reviews won an Evvy (Emerson’s student awards) for Best Review. Her deep love of movies led to her working at a movie theater for five years, which she loved despite the angry customers. An avid reader who constantly buys books before reading the ones she already owns, Rachel is a huge fan of superheroes (especially of the Marvel variety) and wizards and will likely never be able to catch up on all the movies/TV shows she longs to watch.

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