Why Won’t Anyone Say Wanda’s Name?

Westview is still holding a grudge against The Scarlet Witch.

Agatha All Along takes Marvel fans back to Westview and it seems as though the citizens of that town still can’t quite say Wanda’s name. Yesterday, viewers were treated to the first episode of the new Disney+ series. Marvel clearly knows that the fans want to know what’s going on with the Scarlet Witch and made multiple teases to her possible resurrection during Episode 1. Despite all the breadcrumbs though, A lot of the people living in Westview can’t bring themselves to under the words Wanda Maximoff after the events of WandaVision 3 years ago. Agatha Harkness brings up the events of the previous MCU show multiple times and each time she edges close to the truth, someone warns her that they dare not speak her name out loud after everything that’s happened.

For those who need a WandaVision refresher, the series began with Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany’s Avengers moving into a sleepy New Jersey town to start their lives as newlyweds. However, from the early frames of WandaVision, it’s clear that something is amiss in their new home. Creepy and unsettling details make themselves more pronounced as the episodes go by. In fact, time starts moving unnaturally fast and the residents of Westview begin to cry out for help from Vision as the facade keeps cracking. Unfortunately for our friend the synthazoid, Agatha has become aware that he’s a construct as well. So, she uses Wanda’s attachment to him and the boys to trigger the final conflict of that series.

In the last episode of the Marvel TV series, the residents are finally free from “The Hex” that Wanda had placed them in for an unspecified amount of time. Agatha Harkness did battle with the Scarlet Witch and then our hero let everyone go while she flew off to Wundagore mountain. However, that wasn’t easily smoothed over for the people of Westview. Rightfully, they were upset and traumatized at being controlled by Wanda for any amount of time. Essentially being held prisoner was not very fun and as a result, the people on the ground basically look at her like she’s Voldemort now. So, that’s really kind of prickly. (It also casually allows Marvel Studios to dangle the Scarlet Witch, while also making sure we remember she’s been on a bit of streak over past few years in the MCU.)

So, Can We Expect To See Wanda Back Soon?

Elizabeth Olsen really can’t go a single interview without being asked about Wanda Maximoff. Right now, she’s on a media tour for His Three Daughters over at Netflix, and the question has come up multiple times. The fact that a direct WandaVision sequel is airing on Disney+ right now with Agatha All Along also doesn’t help matters very much. Olsen previously talked to Entertainment Tonight during Variety’s Power of Women event, and got asked about a cameo in the upcoming Marvel project.

“I mean, no, but I would love to pop up. I love Kathryn, I don’t want to leave her side ever, I’m so grateful she’s here tonight,” Olsen shared months ago. The star added that she would love to reunite with Hahn as well as Paul Bettany (Vision). “We do think, ‘Gosh, we just gotta do it again!’ We just had a really great time making that show, and with Paul, it was really a special time, so we would love to get the gang back.”

All these comments, plus all the hints about Scarlet Witch’s in Episode 1 of Agatha All Along, have fans believing that a return is imminent. Marvel Studios has been adamant since Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness that Wanda Maximoff is completely off the board. However, all the fans know that The Multiverse Saga means that any and all characters can come back as variants. Not even 2 months ago, Robert Downey Jr was announced to be returning to the MCU as Victor Von Doom in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. So, hope springs eternal, as it usually does when it comes to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Will Wanda be redeemed? Do you think that Agatha All Along’s post-credits scene is a return for Scarlet Witch? Check out all the pop culture discussion at @ComicBook!