WandaVision Writer Jac Schaeffer Says There’s a Sad Reason Why Evan Peters Replaced Quicksilver

WandaVision‘s Jac Schaeffersays that there’s actually a sad reason why Evan Peters ended up replacing Quicksilver. The developments around Wanda Maximoff’s brother ended up being one of the most hotly debated elements of the show. In a recent conversation with Empire Magazine‘s film podcast, Schaeffer explained that it was supposed to be a meta-joke and a clever nod toward the ways that grief can cloud your memory. But, the fans saw an opening and ran wild with theories. (Not the wrong course of action, but one that proved to be a wild time on social media in the days after the finale.) A lot of people felt like they were duped by that choice. Somehow, Peters’ inclusion was supposed to usher in the FOX multiverse and more X-Men. But, it was not to be as WandaVision prided itself on being the sort of intimate character study that gripped the entire Internet for almost two months.

“We had a grief counselor come to the [writers] room, and we did some research on grief, and there’s a lot about how people remember faces,” she began. “The anxiety of not remembering the faces of your loved ones, misremembering, or actively misremembering things as a self-preservation tactic—all of that became fascinating to us, and we thought that by casting Evan [Peters] in the role, it would not only have that effect on Wanda, but it would have this meta layer for the audience, as well.”

So, the road to backlash can be paved with good intentions. Variety also spoke with Schaeffer about her approach to Quicksilver. It seems like she and the writers’ room underestimated the voraciousness of the MCU fandom at large after a year off from their favorite franchises.

“I couldn’t have anticipated… I don’t know, maybe Mary Livanos and Kevin Feige are like, “Yeah, it’s like this every time.” But I’m like, these theories are crazy!,” she said. “So it wasn’t that was not part of my thinking, and also, that’s not my department. I am lucky enough that I get to hear about the other projects and sometimes I’m involved and their conversations. I know a little bit about all the things that Lizzie’s been up to. But that’s a bigger, fancier thing, what you’re asking about.”

Are you still hoping for Mephisto somewhere down the line? Let us know down in the comments!