FormerX-Men ’97showrunnerBeau DeMayohas been stirring up the Marvel fandom by revealing the original abandoned plans for Wanda Maximoff inDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Always a divisive subject, what the 2022 movie did with Scarlet Witch has constantly been debated online, along with the constant questions of whether that movie was the last that we will see ofElizabeth Olsen’s ever-popular character. Now, DeMayo has given that hornet’s nest a hefty kick with his confirmation of the originalMultiverse of Madnessstoryline.
DeMayo is currently at the center of controversy over his firing fromX-Men ’97by Disney following an internal investigation produced “egregious findings.” DeMayo has previously said that he will be telling his side of the story in time, but for now, he is instead revealing details about some of Marvel’sabandoned plans for movies such as theDoctor Strangesequel, andBlade. Responding to online rumors about Scarlet Witch’s role in Scott Derrickson’s originalMultiverse of Madnessmovie, DeMayo said:
“Correct. OG drafts did [Scarlet Witch] justice. Wanda was with Strange recovering after Westview, feeling bad about what she did. She helps him, Wong and [America] Chavez (who she tutors) beat Nightmare across multiverse, where she also sees her variants happy with her kids. Still, Wanda resists and she – not Chavez – helps Strange save the day against Nightmare, who turns out to be a Darkhold-corrupted Strange variant. Also, she used her experiences in WandaVision to warn Chavez about abusing her power.”
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Doctor Strange teams up with a mysterious teenage girl from his dreams who can travel across multiverses, to battle multiple threats, including other-universe versions of himself, which threaten to wipe out millions across the multiverse.
“Only after saving the day, unable to resist finding a multiverse where she can be with her kids, does Wanda – sobbing – break from Strange and accidentally beheads Wong, who tries to stop her from fleeing into the multiverse. That was the film’s cliffhanger. Made far more sense, and even when she flees, Wanda is torn up by guilt in classic comic book fashion and keeps apologizing to Strange as she vanishes and leaves him with his dead friend’s body.”
Fans Are Not Happy Over Scarlet Witch’s Lost Story
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is full of “what-might-have-been” moments, as plans for the franchise are constantly in flux for a number of reasons. From creative differences, to actors having to be cut from the franchise due to personal issues, the current MCU storyline is completely different to the one that might have played out if the Covid pandemic had never happened, Bob Chapek had remained in charge at Disney, and several directors had not dropped out of some big projects.
For fans, the idea of what might have been for Scarlet Witch is just another reason to fans of Olsen’s character to berate Marvel Studios for doing her, and the franchise, wrong. @ Silly1E responded to DeMayo’s post, commenting,“I feel sick. This is the movie we and Scarlet Witch deserved instead of a movie that acted likeWandaVisiondidn’t happen.”@Nina7Infinity added,“They ended up with a monstrosity anyway because Dr Strange MOM was garbage. Too had. The other story sounded better.”@clawdwolf summarized how many felt, saying,“Guys, it’s so f*cking over…someone take me to the dimension where this is what was made.”
However, not everyone was on board with the alternate version of the movie. @X_pacaud supported the version ofMultiverse of Madnessthat ended up being made, saying,“I mean I like this but I also like what we got. Not every abandoned storyline is automatically better. Wandavision warned Wanda that the Darkhold was a corrupting influence and what happened in MoM carried through.”@GladionZ went one step further and commented,“The movie is actually great, this would have been awful lol.”
Elizabeth Olsen Says Marvel ‘Didn’t Know What To Do’ With Scarlet Witch
Elizabeth Olsen is open to returning to the MCU, as long as Marvel has a good story to tell.
Abandoned plans for movies are often one of the most divisive subjects among fans of big franchises, and so it has proven once again. Recently, many writers and directors have shared details of some of their abandoned projects, but it is unlikely that DeMayo would have been quite so eager to share if he had still been part of the franchise.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness– the version that was made – is streaming on Disney+.
