When we talk about questionable decisions in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there’s always that obvious list: too many movies and TV shows, forgettable villains, plot holes, and even an overdose of fan service. But, for me, a few things hit harder than what they do to characters individually. I get it: it’s a massive universe, and introducing characters here and there isn’t easy, especially when you need the timing and context to feel right. Still, when it comes to the Avengers, it’s hard to wrap your head around; it’s surreal to think the studio gave one of them an amazing arc in one project, only to suddenly flip the script and turn them into a villain, which honestly didn’t land that well (and I’ll tell you why below).
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The worst part? After sending them down that path, they basically left the character on the sidelines, as if they didn’t matter. It seems like that on the surface, though nothing is officially confirmed, and we’re left imagining that they might still be setting up the right moment for a comeback. But is that really the case, or did they just push them to the back burner, planning to use them whenever convenient? Rumor has it we might not hear anything until after 2027, with the release of Avengers: Secret Wars.
Yes, I’m talking about Scarlet Witch.
Did the MCU Change Scarlet Witch’s Path and Then Forget Her?
Looking back, it’s frustrating to see all that potential wasted. In Avengers: Age of Ultron, her introduction worked: Wanda was traumatized, manipulated, kind of antagonistic, but still had room to become a hero. It worked. By Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame, she was already a core part of the team, and everyone bought into the idea that she had real stakes within the group. Then came WandaVision, and it finally felt like the MCU understood her value. One of the most beloved series, it dove deep into her grief and trauma, proving you could tell a personal story within a crowded superhero universe. Honestly, it was one of the best things in the post-Endgame phase, if you ask me.
Then came Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and they threw it all away. I don’t mind the idea of a hero turning villain – in fact, it can be epic if done right. The problem? This wasn’t it. Her shift to antagonist was instant and completely careless. Sure, her motivations make sense on a surface level, but from the end of WandaVision to the start of Multiverse of Madness, it felt like they skipped about five chapters. From a hero who has moments of reflection on her actions and shows that she can learn from her mistakes, she became a single-minded, cruel villain willing to do anything to be with her children. The script didn’t allow for any moral debate, because it was basically just: “she’s evil now, deal with it.”
And yes, Elizabeth Olsen held the movie together (thankfully). No denying she stole every scene she was in. But even the best actor can’t save a rushed creative choice. Turning Scarlet Witch into a villain could’ve worked, but it needed a proper, weighty arc. Instead, it felt like a convenient shortcut: they needed a powerful antagonist, so they grabbed whoever was available. The audience notices shortcuts like that immediately.
What makes it worse is that the MCU has shown it can do this transition correctly. Look at Loki – his arc worked because it had time, layers, and setbacks. He didn’t go from villain to hero overnight, and he wasn’t permanently evil without redemption:it was constructed. Scarlet Witch? No construction, just rush. And that’s wild because there was plenty of material to explore her over two or three movies, not just reduce her to a disposable villain in one. Add her supposed death at the end, which was anything but satisfying, and at worst, ambiguous and weak. They clearly wanted to leave the door open for a return (which we know will happen), but without taking responsibility for the arc they’d built. Result: she disappears, and years later, she still hasn’t returned.
Scarlet Witch Is Being Completely Wasted
We’re talking waste here, and not just any character. Wanda is one of the most powerful characters in the MCU (if not the most powerful) and nearly took down Thanos solo in one of the most iconic Avengers: Endgame battles. Fans felt that power. The MCU could’ve explored that potential, made her central to the multiverse saga. Instead? She was just a temporary obstacle for Doctor Strange’s journey. That’s shortsighted.
Sure, she’s about to get a “return” in Marvel Zombies, appearing as a zombified villain. But after all that build-up, the most concrete return is in an animated series with no real connection? That not only diminishes her importance but also shows the MCU has no clue what to do with her. And here’s the kicker: the studio seems increasingly addicted to plot convenience. Instead of treating characters as having coherent journeys, the logic seems to be “use them when the story needs them, discard them when it doesn’t.”
Examples? Sam Wilson took up the Captain America mantle in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, but they had to rush through his emotional complexity (which is one of the reasons Captain America: Brave New World didn’t land). Shang-Chi disappeared and risks becoming another one of those characters only brought back just to fill in the team. Hawkeye vanished until his own show, and even there, the arc was mostly about passing the baton to Kate Bishop instead of closing his own emotional story. When a character like Scarlet Witch is treated this way, the loss isn’t just hers – it’s ours. Fans invested time and emotion into WandaVision, only to get a lazy flip and an unexplained disappearance.
I get that the MCU is crowded; balancing all these characters is hard. But that’s exactly why characters with established weight shouldn’t be shelved. They keep introducing new heroes every phase, but fail to resolve the ones that already have solid foundations. Scarlet Witch is the clearest example. She gained relevance, earned fans, and is an actress ready to continue. What she lacks is vision.
At the end of the day, it’s about inconsistency. You can praise WandaVision‘s depth and then swallow the rush of Multiverse of Madness. For me, that’s one of the MCU’s biggest planning mistakes. They took one of the most fascinating characters they had and made her arc incomplete, with no real payoff.
Maybe she’ll show up in Secret Wars or some other project. But until then, it’s clear: the MCU wasted Scarlet Witch, especially after giving her such a shocking and impactful journey – all because of bad, rushed decisions with no long-term vision (pun intended). What could’ve been one of the MCU’s strongest arcs ended up being another example of the studio dropping the ball. Sure, the MCU has struggled lately, but now that they’re trying to get organized, I hope Wanda Maximoff is on the secret plans. After a long absence like this, the expectation is that she returns with impact, and I really want to see how the MCU pulls that off.
What do you think about Scarlet Witch turning into a villain and disappearing? Do you feel like the MCU has given up on Wanda, or are they just waiting for the perfect moment to bring her back? Let us know in the comments!
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Image courtesy of Lucasfilm.
