Scarlet Witch's MCU Replacement Paves a Parth For Elizabeth Olsen's Return

Warning! Spoilers ahead for TVA #5!The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Scarlet Witch is ᴅᴇᴀᴅ, but that doesn’t mean Elizabeth Olsen can’t return for more stories. In fact, Marvel Comics has just provided a way for everyone’s favorite magic user to return to the film franchise, with one small twist that could easily carry over to the MCU.

Wanda Maximoff, aka the Scarlet Witch, went through hell in the post-Endgame MCU. Her journey took her to some dark places, ultimately leading to Wanda sacrificing herself on Mount Wundagore. Things got a little complicated in the recent TVA series, which has once again confirmed that Wanda is ᴅᴇᴀᴅ. However, Scarlet Witch has a variant out there who has lived a life incredibly similar to the one from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. If the franchise is looking to bring Scarlet Witch back, it’s got the perfect variant that could easily take her fallen counterpart’s place and not miss a step.

Scarlet Witch Has a Variant Who’s Almost an Exact Duplicate

The MCU Could Easily Replace Wanda With This Copy

TVA #5 Scarlet Witch, Ghost Spider, and Nightmare

In TVA #5 by Katharyn Blair, Pere Pérez, Guru-eFX, and Joe Sabino, the impostor Loki has revealed himself to actually be Nightmare, who has succeeded in his goal: finding and unleashing the Scarlet Witch kept in the TVA’s most secure holding area. Ghost-Spider freaks out over the situation while Nightmare brings Wanda up to speed. The demon mentions Wanda’s death on Mount Wundagore, but reveals that this Scarlet Witch is from a slightly different timeline, one where Wanda survived her death.

Her death seen in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, that is.

However, Scarlet Witch isn’t grateful to Nightmare for freeing her. Instead, she blasts Nightmare away with magic before turning her attention to Gwen. But Nightmare fights back, angered over Scarlet Witch’s lack of appreciation for her newfound freedom. The two begin fighting while Ghost-Spider alerts the TVA, whose base slowly becomes more and more unstable during Wanda and Nightmare’s fight. All Scarlet Witch wants is to leave, but the TVA nor Nightmare will let her leave by herself. The battle rages on until Wanda and Nightmare separate, giving the TVA a chance to act.

…Scarlet Witch tells them all that once she departs, she’s not an Avenger anymore.

Scarlet Witch gets a chance to plead her case to Ghost-Spider and Sylvie, and Wanda tells them that she knows she did bad things, but that others have committed worse crimes, yet remain free. Gwen prepares to put her back on ice, but Sylvie steps in, saying if the TVA wants to be different, they have to try different ways of handling things. The Scarlet Witch variant is allowed to leave, and Ghost-Spider asks what they should do if they need her help. But Scarlet Witch tells them all that once she departs, she’s not an Avenger anymore.

The MCU Ended Scarlet Witch’s Story Pretty Definitively

Wanda’s Story Was Tragic Up Until the Bitter End

Things only seemed to grow worse for Wanda as the MCU went on. After joining the Avengers in Avengers: Age of Ultron, Scarlet Witch fought against the Sokovian Accords, only to go on the run after being branded a criminal. She hid out for a few years with her lover, the Vision, until Thanos came in search of Vision’s Mind Stone. Wanda was subsequently blipped when Thanos ᴀssembled the Infinity Stones and wiped out half of the universe. Scarlet Witch later returned, but she was in a great amount of emotional pain from losing Vision.

Though she survived Thanos’ attack, Wanda was still hurting years after Endgame. Wanda went out to Westview, New Jersey, where her anger caused her to unleash a wave of Chaos Magic that engulfed the whole town. Wanda subconsciously modeled the town after television programs she watched growing up and used her magic to live a life with Vision, and even gave them children to raise, Tommy and Billy. However, the fantasy eventually came crashing down, but Scarlet Witch wasn’t ready to say goodbye to her family just yet.

Ever since her sacrifice, Scarlet Witch hasn’t been seen in the MCU in any capacity.

Wanda spent months studying the Darkhold, hoping to use its powers to find her children in an alternate universe. Scarlet Witch’s descent into villainy and madness led her to kill almost anyone she came into conflict with. But after realizing how far she’d actually gone, Wanda attempted to redeem herself by destroying every copy of the Darkhold across the multiverse. Scarlet Witch destroys Darkhold Castle on Mount Wundagore and seemingly succeeds in her mission. Ever since her sacrifice, Scarlet Witch hasn’t been seen in the MCU in any capacity.

Scarlet Witch’s Variant is the Best SH๏τ to Bring Her Back

The MCU is Hitting Variants Hard, Why Not Bring Bring This New One In?

The current era of the Marvel Cinematic Universe isn’t called the Multiverse Saga glibly. Several of the last big shows and movies have incorporated aspects of the alternate worlds and new spins on classic Marvel characters. Admittedly, the MCU has been hitting it so hard that some fans have balked at the inclusion of variants. But it’s something that’s going to stick around at least until the saga comes to a conclusion with Avengers: Secret Wars. And until that moment happens, the MCU has a Scarlet Witch variant on standby who could easily continue Wanda’s story.

…the only thing that separates them is that TVA #5’s Wanda survived Mount Wundagore while MCU’s Wanda didn’t.

Granted, some may not like a new Scarlet Witch coming in to continue Wanda’s story. But they are almost completely identical and the only thing that separates them is that TVA #5’s Wanda survived Mount Wundagore while MCU’s Wanda didn’t. Plus, it allows Wanda’s meaningful sacrifice to stand while still allowing for a Scarlet Witch to carry on Wada’s story and bring her back for the big events of Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. In a franchise that’s crawling with variants, what’s one more if it allows a fan-favorite character to return?

Sure, some fans might be done when it comes to variants. But Scarlet Witch is a big MCU icon, and it’d be terrible to never see her again. ᴀssuming that there are seriously no plans to bring the MCU Wanda back to life, bringing this variant in for future movies is the next best thing. It doesn’t take away from the redemption that her counterpart found at the end of Multiverse of Madness, and it ensures Scarlet Witch is around for whatever the MCU has in the next big saga.

TVA #5 is available now from Marvel Comics.