WandaVision Connecting X-Men Universe to MCU (Multiverse Theory Explained)

X-Men‘s Evan Peters is reportedly going to appear in WandaVision which could mean mutants are coming to the MCU… but it’s definitely complicated. This news was first reported by Murphy’s Multiverse — who calls it a “mystery role.” Additionally, this will be a brief appearance in WandaVision but it will be a key part. With Peters have playing Quicksilver in Fox’s X-Men universe, delivering some iconic sequences in films like X-Men: Days of Future Past, there is a quick conclusion drawn by well-informed Marvel fans. Let’s take a look at who Peters might be playing and why it is such a big deal for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, starting with the wildest but somewhat plausible theory.

The facts: Evan Peters played Pietro Maximoff, also known as Quicksilver in the X-Men movie world. This cinematic universe has a canon separate to that of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In the MCU, Aaron Taylor-Johnson played Pietro Maximoff in Avengers: Age of Ultron. The character died and hasn’t really been mentioned since despite his sister Wanda Maximoff living on.

Naturally, with Disney having purchased Fox and getting the rights to the X-Men characters and previous movies, the knee jerk reaction is that Evan Peters is still playing Quicksilver. “But Quicksilver died in the MCU, how would that work?” you ask. Well, let’s take a look…

WandaVision is leading straight into Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness — a movie which will really and truly explore the Multiverse idea in the Marvel Cinematic Universe after Spider-Man: Far From Home introduced it with dialogue. In Spidey’s movie, Mysterio claimed to be from another planet and labeled the earth which the MCU follows as Earth-616. Of course, the MCU’s Earth is Earth-199999 and Mysterio was lying but his idea of alternate universes was not wrong.

As Wanda Maximoff goes on some sort of trippy adventures in WandaVision, it seems entirely possible that the Disney+ show could send her to the X-Men movie world, if only for a moment or single episode, where she meets Pietro Maximoff in a world where he is Magneto’s son like he is on the pages of Marvel Comics — but he probably doesn’t have a sister named Wanda as the X-Men movies have given us no reason to believe the Scarlet Witch exists in that canon.

Think of this like how the DC Extended Universe connected to the DC shows on the CW when Grant Gustin’s Barry Allen met Ezra Miller’s Barry Allen. Both are the Flash but played by different actors and coming with different stories. Plus, to credit this theory a bit more, legendary Professor X actor Patrick Stewart said earlier this year that Kevin Feige had talked to him about playing the mutant leader again.

This multiverse theory leaves us with more questions than answers. It opens the doors for a lot of exciting possibilities, like visiting the X-Men world at a time where Wolverine is still alive to get Hugh Jackman back into the role for an MCU crossover or something bigger other Marvel properties from the past being a part of the Mutliverse, like Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man movies with Tobey Maguire. After all, Raimi is directing Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness following Scott Derrickson’s exit from the project earlier this year. This could extend to other movies, too, like the Fantastic Four films where Chris Evans was the Human Torch or Daredevil with Ben Affleck. After all, there is already a popular live-action Spider-Verse theory floating around.

It’s an endless rabbit hole of ideas where alternate versions of characters co-exist but don’t really co-exist. That’s the kind of thing a Multiverse could create.

Assuming Evan Peters is not playing the Quicksilver role we have seen him play in the past, there is a chance he could be playing a villain in WandaVision and, as evidenced by Captain America actor Chris Evans having played the Human Torch in the past along with a handful of other actors, Peters would not be the first actor to play multiple Marvel characters. If he is a villain in WandaVision, he could play one which could pay off with a return further down the line like Nightmare.

Nightmare, for those who don’t know, is the ruler of the Dream Dimension — a world where Wanda might be spending a lot of time in WandaVision. Given that first look teaser, it looks like she’s dreaming up a whole lot of a scenarios for her and Vision to have lived happily ever after, especially considering he died in Avengers: Infinity War and was never brought back to life in Avengers: Endgame.

Nightmare can draw power from the psychic energies of humans while they sleep, so Wanda might be a whole feast for him in this movie — and if she gets captured in his Dream Dimension. Considering Doctor Strange frees humans from Nightmare’s wrath, he could come face to face with him in his Multiverse of Madness movie which would explain how Wanda becomes a key part of the movie.

Since Evan Peters knocked out playing a villain in American Horror Story, here’s one more suggestion: Mephisto. Mephisto is a fan-favorite villain who has been a part of Marvel Comics stories for more than 40 years and he has big stories with not only Doctor Strange, but also other characters we want to see in the MCU — like Ghost Rider and the Silver Surfer.

ComicBook.com once asked Evan Peters if he or other other X-Men: Dark Phoenix cast members knew anything about the future for their roles as Disney was surely going to shake things up under the Marvel Studios umbrella — he was sitting beside Alexandra Shipp and Tye Sheridan. Sheridan fielded the question: “There weren’t any talks with us,” the Cyclops actor said. “I don’t know if there’ve been an internal conversation. I don’t know. I think this franchise has a lot of potential, it always has. I’d love to see it continue in some form, even if there spin-offs and characters do their own movies independently. I think it’s definitely something that should be explored.”

Right now, anything is possible. I have my bets on which of these roles and stories Evan Peters will be a part of, starting with WandaVision, but I want to hear what you think. Leave your thoughts in the comment section or send them my way on Instagram and for complete coverage of MCU news, stay tuned to ComicBook.com/Marvel!