The Multiverse Saga's massive ending event, Avengers: Secret Wars, is destined to feature the return of countless Marvel heroes from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and beyond, but perhaps its most exciting possible return is that of Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch. The culmination of Phase 6 will see the Multiverse torn apart, much akin to the 2015 comic book event of the same name on which the 2026 film is based, leaving endless possibilities for the sixth Avengers film. And, as one theory suggests, this may all be the fault of Wanda Maximoff, especially her horrific actions in her most recent MCU appearance.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness saw the MCU's Scarlet Witch at her most powerful, taking on forces like the sorcerers of Kahmer-Taj and Earth-838's Illuminati all by herself. Despite her villainous streak in the film as a result of losing her two children in WandaVision, Wanda eventually saw the light, using her immense power to destroy every Darkhold, the book that had corrupted her, from across the Multiverse. Although she seemingly died amidst her last-minute redemption, the Scarlet Witch seems primed for a triumphant return in Secret Wars, playing a pivotal role in the events that take place therein.
Scarlet Witch Was Prophesied To Destroy The Multiverse
In the Disney+ series WandaVision, it is finally revealed that Wanda Maximoff is the Scarlet Witch, a legendary being who was foretold either to rule or destroy the Multiverse. As revealed by WandaVision's villain Agatha Harkness, the Scarlet Witch is a being with far more power than even the Sorcerer Supreme, making her one of the most dangerous characters in the entirety of the MCU. Multiverse of Madness later emphasized the possibility of Wanda fulfilling this prophecy by including a temple built entirely in her honor. This temple housed the book of the damned, the Darkhold, which Wanda eventually sacrificed herself to destroy, seemingly dying in her temple's destruction.
All is not well following Wanda's seemingly heroic sacrifice, however. Despite her apparent death in the exciting final act of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the Scarlet Witch continues to threaten the Multiverse in a major way. Wanda's supposed heroic redemption, which involved destroying every version of the Darkhold in every reality, may actually prove to be the inciting incident that leads to the Multiverse's fracturing into numerous incursions, ultimately resulting in the events of Secret Wars. In trying to atone for her actions, Wanda may have actually made things far worse, inadvertently fulfilling the prophecy that she had once claimed to be false.
Scarlet Witch's Actions In Multiverse Of Madness Could Have Caused A Mass Incursion
Scarlet Witch may have accidentally caused multiple incursions by destroying every Darkhold variant in the Multiverse. As explained by Earth-838's Reed Richards variant in Multiverse of Madness, incursions are the result of prolonged interactions between different realities. The film's mid-credits scene then introduced Charlize Theron's Clea, who confirmed that an undisclosed MCU event had indeed caused an incursion. While audiences were left on a cliffhanger regarding what had exactly caused this event, they are led to believe that it occurred at some point during the events of Multiverse of Madness. Although Doctor Strange may indeed be at fault, it is far more likely that Wanda Maximoff caused this Multiversal collision.
Although destroying the Darkhold seemed like the right decision at the time, Wanda's all-or-nothing approach led her to affect every universe in the entirety of the Multiverse. In her moment of heroism, Wanda reached out and altered the realities all throughout time and space, an act that could surely cause rippling effects throughout the MCU. Despite her redemption, Scarlet Witch may well have broken the Multiverse while trying to save it, potentially causing incursion events on multiple Earths. Moreover, since the incursion originated on Earth-616, all these realities may be on a collision course with the MCU in Secret Wars.
What Scarlet Witch's Actions Could Mean For Avengers: Secret Wars
The possible creation of multiple major incursions will doubtlessly have a major impact on the Marvel Cinematic Universe moving forward, chiefly in Avengers: Secret Wars. Given the film's comic book source material, the plot is most likely to follow the heroes of Earth-616 as their world experiences one or several incursion events. If this theory regarding Wanda's actions proves true, this bodes well for the Scarlet Witch's MCU return in Secret Wars, as she will want to be involved in repairing whatever damage she has done. The film may even end with the fulfillment of the prophecy, leaving Wanda to rule the Multiverse as a Nexus Being.
Moreover, the possibility of a grand-scale incursion in Secret Wars opens the door to the film, including multiple cameos from characters hailing from all throughout Marvel's cinematic history, both during and before the MCU. It has been heavily rumored that Secret Wars would include such cameos, with names like Hugh Jackman's Wolverine, Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man, Chris Evans's Human Torch, and more being thrown around for potential appearances in the saga-ending event. Such a plotline would also allow for important characters from the Secret Wars comics absent from the MCU to appear in the film and play their pivotal role therein, merely hailing from a universe other than the mainline Earth-616.
Should such a massive incursion take place involving Earth-616, Secret Wars may also see the MCU go through a reboot of sorts, rewriting certain portions of the franchise as Marvel Studios sees fit, explaining it all away as consequences of the Multiverse's collapse. In so doing, the franchise would pay homage to Scarlet Witch's most famous comics storyline, House of M, in which she single-handedly rewrites her reality as she wants it, wreaking havoc as a result. This time, however, House of M could introduce mutants to the franchise, adding them to the rebooted Earth-616 for Phase 7 in an unproblematic way that raises few questions about their historical whereabouts.
It wouldn't be surprising if a grand-scale incursion in Secret Wars also brings about the end of the Multiverse in the MCU. While exploring different realities and variants is fun, such a premise can become a cop-out for future stories as there will always be another reality that has solved all of the MCU's problems. Secret Wars will likely see the Multiverse finally closed off forever, leaving any future Sagas confined to the MCU alone. With Scarlet Witch at the Multiverse Saga's center, it would make sense for her to exit the franchise during Avengers: Secret Wars, taking a final bow alongside the Multiverse that she brought to its knees.
