Numerous tragedies in Scarlet Witch’s life have set the stage for an emotional and mental breakdown in WandaVision. After being a ing character in several Marvel movies, Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) will finally be utilized as a central character once her Disney+ series premieres in January 2021.
In WandaVision, she will be mysteriously reunited with Vision (Paul Bettany), who died at the hands of Thanos (Josh Brolin) at the end of organization known as SWORD will be getting involved in the action. Also, a character played by Kathryn Hahn appears to be aware that their new reality is not all that it seems.
As for what really is happening in WandaVision, it would seem that Marvel is finally making use of Wanda’s reality-warping powers, and not in a way that’s good for the MCU. In the comics, great amounts of stress would caused Wanda to go mad and use these powers uncontrollably. It looks as though the MCU will be leaning in the same direction, with Wanda subconsciously altering reality to create a world that fits what she wants from life. Apparently, her psyche has suffered much, and that’s likely why this is happening to her and the people around her in WandaVision's warped reality. Here are all the MCU events that have contributed to Scarlet Witch’s inevitable breakdown in Phase 4.
Her Parents' Death
Wanda’s life was upended at an early age. When she and her brother Pietro were children, their family dinner was interrupted by a mortar shell manufactured by Stark Industries striking their house and killing their parents. They were trapped under the rubble for days before rescue came. In that one instant, the young twins were turned into orphans. Adding to their emotional pain was the anger and hate that came with it. They blamed what happened on Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.), who previously built weapons of war for the government before being reformed.
The War In Sokovia
What happened to Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch's father and mother was just the beginning of the impact that the war in Sokovia had on them. Constant fighting and uprisings in their country kept them from having any peace and ruined any chance of happiness during their formative years. As adults, the two became protestors desperate to make sure the United States’ presence in Sokovia came to an end.
HYDRA’s Dangerous Experiments
Both Wanda and Pietro were willing to do whatever it took to end the conflict the Sokovia. The two even volunteered to be experimented on by HYDRA scientists, who used the Mind Stone to imbue them with superpowers. They weren’t the only test subjects, but they were the only ones who survived. While there, Wanda may have witnessed or at least certainly learned of the deaths of these other men and women, some of whom were possibly fellow activists she knew. Even so, Wanda had to remain in a small cell in HYDRA’s compound while she learned to harness her new abilities.
Quicksilver's Death
The Maximoffs' hatred toward Iron Man continued to fester, but the battles they went through in Quicksilver died during the fight against Ultron. With his death, Wanda lost the last person she had in her life and the beloved twin brother who had always been at her side.
The Accidental Mass Killing In Africa
While on a mission with the Avengers in Nigeria in Steve Rogers later assured Wanda that she wasn’t responsible for the deaths, the guilt she felt didn’t subside, and it didn’t help that she was blamed by others as well.
Having To Fight Vision (Civil War)
The debate over what to do about her and superheroes, in general, put the Avengers at odds with each other. Much to Wanda’s disappointment, she found herself on the opposing side of Vision, a teammate she had grown quite close to since the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron. Wanda, who understandably felt torn, had no choice but to fight him.
Witnessing Vision's Death TWICE
Despite being a fugitive after the events of Civil War, the Mind Stone from Vision’s head himself, ripping it out and leaving him lifeless in the process. Wanda’s pain reached a new level watching the man she loved die in front of her not once, but twice.
Being Dusted By Thanos
Wanda didn’t have long to grieve over Vision. Just a few minutes after Vision's death, Thanos snapped his fingers and wiped out half of everyone in the universe. Among the casualties was Scarlet Witch, who remained disappeared for five years until she was brought back in Avengers: Endgame along with everyone else. Her return wasn’t a pleasant one, though, as she had come back to a world that didn’t have Vision in it.
Being essentially dead for five years wasn’t adequately explored in Endgame, but it could be discussed in more detail in her new Disney+ show. Scarlet Witch being robbed of five years of her life hasn’t been a huge talking point thus far, but that’s mostly because it’s one of many incidents that has left a scar on her. Given everything that she’s gone through since she ed the MCU, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that she would unknowingly use her powers to create a happier reality for herself and bring back her lost love in WandaVision.
