Marvel Sets Up Scarlet Witch's Return In MCU Multiverse 1 Year After Her Death

Scarlet Witch’s return in What If…? season 2 is a reminder that the MCU can bring back Elizabeth Olsen’s Wanda Maximoff sooner rather than later.

Marvel’s What If…? season 2 suggests that Scarlet Witch’s MCU return will come sooner rather than later. At the beginning of Phase 4, WandaVision set up Wanda Maximoff to be a key MCU character in the near future. As Agatha Harkness explained, the Scarlet Witch’s immense power “exceeds that of the Sorcerer Supreme. It is her destiny to destroy the world.” Yet, one MCU appearance later, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness seemingly killed her off for good. But while Wanda Maximoff seems to have actually died after her battle with Doctor Strange and America Chavez, Elizabeth Olsen hasn’t officially exited the MCU, which makes her return as the Scarlet Witch possible in the future.

Many characters have found a way to return after their deaths in Marvel movies and shows. For instance, Phil Coulson was resurrected after Loki killed him thanks to Project TAHITI in Agents of SHIELD, while Thanos, Gamora, and Loki himself replaced their dead selves thanks to time travel. Add magic to the equation, and Scarlet Witch’s MpCU return becomes even more likely. Although Scarlet Witch has been confirmed to be dead, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness doesn’t show her body, which opens the door for a wide variety of potential explanations for their resurrection. Otherwise, the easiest option is one the MCU is already using in animation.

How Scarlet Witch Can Return In The MCU After Her Death

The upcoming MCU show What If…? season 2 offers a simple way to bring back the Scarlet Witch. As the first What If…? trailer shows, any character from any point in the MCU’s timeline can star in a What If…? episode, regardless of how much their appearance differs from the MCU’s main timeline. Since almost every What If…? episode takes place in a new universe, dead characters like T’Chaka, Hela, Thanos, and Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch can return without continuity issues. Of course, these variants can have their own story in an animated show while the original characters, like Earth-616’s Scarlet Witch, get ready to come back.

Will Scarlet Witch Return Again In The MCU?

Similar to Strange Supreme, the new animated Scarlet Witch variant introduced in What If…? season 2 could become a mainstay character, and her story could continue in What If…? season 3. What’s more, this Scarlet Witch could join an animated crossover alongside the MCU’s Guardians of the Multiverse if they’re still active by season 2, or participate in the MCU’s upcoming Marvel Zombies spinoff. After the show, the MCU could introduce a new live-action Scarlet Witch variant or bring the original version back to do her prophecy justice. Given the Darkhold’s power and her own magic, Scarlet Witch’s resurrection doesn’t seem like a difficult task.

Nevertheless, Elizabeth Olsen has voiced her satisfaction with Scarlet Witch’s journey so far. In June 2023, Olsen said she would still be happy if she were fired by Marvel, as she has already explored everything she has wanted to explore with the character. This confession gives Marvel Studios plenty of freedom to bring the character back at any point. Even if Elizabeth Olsen stopped officially stepped away from the character in live-action, Olsen could still voice Scarlet Witch in animated MCU titles like she does in Marvel’s What If…? season 2.