WandaVision Episode 5's Shocking Cameo Ending: What Does it Mean?

If you've spent even a second on social media since the fifth episode of Marvel's WandaVision dropped on Disney+, you're probably aware that something really big happened in the final scene. If you've been able to avoid spoilers so far, you're doing great, and we'd encourage you to keep doing whatever you're doing. If you've already watched the episode, or happen to have been spoiled online, you've probably got a lot of questions about that massive twist. So we're going to break it down, right after one last spoiler warning. We'll even put it bold this time.

WARNING: This article contains spoilers for the latest episode of WandaVision! Continue reading at your own risk...

Yes, it appears as though Quicksilver has returned to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but he's not the same one that died in Avengers: Age of Ultron. When the camera turned to reveal Pietro Maximoff standing in Wanda and Vision's doorway, it was the fact of Evan Peters staring back, not Aaron Taylor-Johnson.

For the folks that have only really watched the MCU Marvel films, it probably just looks like another actor took over the role. Darcy Lewis even asks if Wanda somehow "recast" Pietro for her show. However, everyone who has watched the X-Men films knows this is a much bigger deal. Peters played a Quicksilver for a completely different franchise, one that didn't belong to Disney until a couple of years ago. Peters showing up as Quicksilver could mean any number of things for WandaVision, as well as the greater MCU.

Because of Darcy's comment at the end of the episode, we know that this isn't a Don Cheadle or Mark Ruffalo situation. Taylor-Johnson wasn't replaced by Peters behind-the-scenes. Something is happening here. Of course, the first thought on the minds of most fans this morning is that we have just seen our first look at the X-Men in the MCU, likely due to the multiverse. This could absolutely be the case, as we know Spider-Man 3 and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness are going to be dealing with alternate realities. The Peters Quicksilver could have come over from a different universe, which would mean that any of the X-Men we've seen on-screen could pop up in the MCU with the same actors playing them.

That said, there is no guarantee that this is the actual X-Men crossover. There are plenty of other explanations for this, all of which would mean that Marvel absolutely has a sense of humor. Even if this isn't the real Quicksilver, casting Peters to play the part is just an A+ all-around.

This could be a manipulation from whoever is behind the Hex at Westview. Yes, Wanda is the one who has created the sitcom reality we've been seeing, but it doesn't seem to be that simple. It's likely that someone else has a hand in this, and it would be awfully convenient for Pietro to show up just as Wanda is about to lose control. Peters could be a former resident of Westview that has just somehow been manipulated into looking like Pietro, or he could be some kind of illusion for Wanda to experience. Either way, we know that Wanda didn't create him.

Let's also not rule out the fact that this could be SWORD's doing. Darcy didn't know what was going on, but that doesn't mean the people in charge didn't have a hand in this. Perhaps someone found a way back inside and is trying to appeal to Wanda's heart. It's a stretch, but anything can happen in WandaVision. And do you really even trust the guy running the whole operation?

If Peters is indeed from another universe, and he really is Quicksilver, that opens up all kinds of questions about how he arrived in Westview in the first place. Mephisto, Kang, Nightmare — really any number of Marvel villains could have played a part in that kind of trickery. Or maybe Doctor Strange went reality-hopping in order to help get to Wanda. No matter what, if the multiverse is involved, Wanda's role in the Doctor Strange sequel is starting to make a lot more sense.

At this point, we have no real clue where Peters' Quicksilver came from, but we'll probably find out in the coming weeks.

Where do you think this new Quicksilver came from? Is this really the start of the X-Men in the MCU? Let us know your best theories in the comments!