Ever since WandaVision allowed the Marvel Cinematic Universe to truly capitalize on the potential of Wanda Maximoff, Marvel fans have been longing for more of the Scarlet Witch. They got it pretty quickly in 2022's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness but that film ended up leaving a lot of fans feeling a bit cold after its mishandling of Wanda's arc and the character's apparent death.
Through it all, there have been rumblings of a Scarlet Witch solo project (which appears to be looking likely to be a movie), as Marvel Studios is reportedly eager to invest in the popularity of the character. It's understandable, as Elizabeth Olsen's performance has earned the franchise adoration from millions of people all around the world and even brought Marvel Studios its first Emmy nominations.
While it still sounds like the project is a go, this newest report suggests fans will be waiting a long time to see Wanda back in action.
Scarlet Witch movie reportedly still a long way off
Marvel insider AlexFromCC recently discussed the rumored Scarlet Witch project in a Q&A (via The Cosmic Circus) that saw him respond to a number of fan questions regarding the MCU. When asked where the film was in terms of development, he answered that the project is "still in the very early conceptual stage" as Marvel Studios is still trying to figure out the story.
This will no doubt come as a disheartening update for fans hoping to know more about Wanda's inevitable return to the franchise. It's been over two years since audiences last saw the character in Doctor Strange 2 and for a while there it was beginning to seem like Marvel was sticking by the notion that Wanda perished when taking down Mount Wundagore. Even though it sounds like her return is still on the horizon, the fact that it isn't any closer to happening is a bit disappointing.
Wanda has been a part of the MCU since 2014, debuting in the post-credits scene for Captain America: The Winter Soldier before she went on to play a more significant role in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Even so, it felt like WandaVision was the moment that the MCU was ready to start exploring her full potential, and that increased anticipation for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness tenfold. Her arc in that film, however, felt like it stalled all of the momentum that had been built up, and the fact that she hasn't reappeared in a subsequent installment yet just reinforces that feeling.
The Doctor Strange sequel had Wanda lose all sense of who she was as she became corrupted by the Darkhold in a bid to travel to an alternate universe so that she could be with her children. When she eventually realized the death, damage, and destruction she had caused, she sacrificed herself and the mountain powering her so that the Darkhold could never corrupt anyone ever again.
WandaVision's stories continue, but where's Wanda?
Even though Marvel has suggested that we've seen the last of the character, fans have been convinced that she will return one day. The running theory is that upcoming WandaVision spinoff Agatha All Along could be the project that paves the way for her return on a long-term basis (Olsen isn't expected to appear in it). Whether or not it sets the stage for the Scarlet Witch movie is something we'll all have to wait and see.
Speaking of Agatha, its existence is a reminder of the legacy that WandaVision started. The Disney Plus series was the first title in Phase Four of the MCU, launching the Multiverse Saga to critical acclaim. Even though Wanda's story developments in Doctor Strange 2 were criticized, you could still see the impact of the show through that film's storyline. And that's not the only legacy the show crafted, as it is launching two spinoff shows focused on characters introduced during it. Agatha will explore Kathryn Hahn's Agatha Harkness while the long-rumored Vision project was recently confirmed, with Paul Bettany returning and the focus expected to be on the new White Vision.
That's two of the three Emmy-nominated pieces of the WandaVision puzzle, with all sights now set on the rumored Scarlet Witch project in the hopes that they can get the third piece back in action too. The new report might be disheartening due to its suggestion that there hasn't been much movement on it in the past two years, but another significant piece of information like that does suggest that it is actually happening. And in this era of unconfirmed rumors and limitless possibilities, that is a very good thing.
Here's hoping that Wanda returns to the MCU in the very-near-future.