Marvel just made its most controversial movie totally pointless

As a longtime Marvel fan who has witnessed the evolution of Wanda Maximoff since her debut, I must admit that the turn of events in “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” left me feeling rather perplexed and disheartened. The character we grew to know and empathize with in “WandaVision” seemed to take a sharp turn for the worse in the 2022 film, leaving many fans, myself included, questioning the narrative’s direction.

From the start of the show “Agatha All Along,” the enigma surrounding the Teen’s backstory has been a major focus, sparking curiosity long before the series was launched. Once Joe Locke landed the role, there was a whirlwind of speculation on the internet, with Marvel enthusiasts debating the possibility that his character could be Wiccan, potentially making an entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

In the fifth installment of the Disney Plus series, it became clear that Teen unleashed his abilities for the very first time, causing Agatha Harkness, Lilia Calderu, and Jennifer Kale to slip into the mud along the Witches’ Pathway. Similar to his mother, Wanda Maximoff, he demonstrated mind-controlling skills, a trait we saw during her debut in Avengers: Age of Ultron. This surprising turn of events was something that many had speculated but few anticipated at that specific juncture.

Standing on the Witches’ Road with a halo-like crown above him, he positioned himself for a story delving into his past. The title “Familiar By Thy Side” fulfilled this promise, yet it also left many questioning the significance of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s more contentious films.

Billy Maximoff’s origins, explained

In episode 6 of “Agatha All Along”, we meet William Kaplan, a 13-year old boy who is having his Bar Mitzvah in Eastview. Suddenly, an evacuation notice is issued because of the Westview anomaly. William’s parents rush him home and as they pass by, Wanda Maximoff’s well-known Hex starts to shrink, much like it did at the end of “WandaVision”. However, while they are focused on the Hex, they almost collide with oncoming traffic. This close call causes William’s father to swerve, resulting in a car crash into a nearby tree.

In a tragic accident scene, it appears that William dies, yet surprisingly wakes up shouting “Tommy!”. However, this isn’t actually William Kaplan; instead, it’s Billy Maximoff whose spirit managed to transfer into William’s body due to the influence of the Hex. We can confirm this because just before he regains consciousness, we overhear an audio exchange between Billy and Tommy Maximoff saying “goodnight” (as depicted in WandaVision).

Marvel just made its most controversial movie totally pointless

Wanda, filled with affection, sorrow, and mystical power, brought forth children with Vision. After Vision met his end in Avengers: Infinity War, she moved to Westview and, overwhelmed by emotion, unleashed a surge of magical chaos that transformed the town into her personal TV show-like universe, complete with a family. However, what we believed to be purely fictional was not entirely so; Vision and the boys were bound within the Hex, meaning they vanished whenever it was lifted… or so we thought.

In a remarkable turn of events, even though Wanda’s children might have had magical origins, she also imbued them with souls. This twist may come as a shock for those not familiar with the Marvel Comics, but given who the Scarlet Witch is, it’s not entirely unexpected. As a character known for her power to create spontaneously, we just didn’t fully comprehend the extent of her creative powers – and now it seems souls are among them as well.

Indeed, I did mention children; in the series “Agatha All Along,” it comes to light that Tommy Maximoff (also known as Speed) is out there as well. Billy senses his presence, which explains why he decided to tread the Witches’ Path. It’s quite heartwarming because, as rumored, “Agatha” now continues the tale that began in “WandaVision.” However, this leaves us wondering about the fate of the original spin-off series.

Agatha All Along renders Doctor Strange 2 meaningless

In the movie “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” released in 2022, Stephen Strange informed Wanda Maximoff that her children were not authentic. Following the events of “WandaVision”, the Scarlet Witch, mourning heavily and influenced by the Darkhold, sought solace in another dimension where her sons Tommy and Billy were truly real. If this required her to eliminate America Chavez (along with that universe’s counterpart of Wanda) in the process, she was prepared to do so.

It transpired that Tommy and Billy weren’t figments of imagination; instead, they were brought to life through magic with the Hex. Even though the Hex dissipated, their souls were swiftly transferred into other bodies, giving them a chance at an actual existence. A reality that Wanda might have shared with them if she had been aware of their presence. However, things didn’t unfold as planned, and many fans share this disappointment.

Marvel just made its most controversial movie totally pointless

In essence, during the three years William Kaplan’s soul recognized him as Billy Maximoff, Wanda caused chaos across various universes, attempting to seize a different Tommy and Billy from their mother, putting a teenager in danger, and even killing numerous heroes from another Earth. The movie received significant backlash for this portrayal of the Scarlet Witch, with viewers arguing that it failed to capture the intricacies of WandaVision, as it depicted Wanda transitioning into villainy. Despite her complex nature and her seemingly imminent descent into darkness, the movie pushed her so far down this path that it seemed irreversible for her character.

In the final moments of the movie, her selfless act served as her path towards redemption, for she recognized her transformation and vowed never to let the Darkhold bring harm to others again. Consequently, she triggered Mount Wundagore’s destruction, annihilating all existing copies of the Darkhold and seemingly ending her life in the process. Although Agatha All Along has suggested that she is no longer alive on numerous instances (now more often referring to her as “absent”), there’s a strong belief that she will reappear at some point in the future.

In the movie “Doctor Strange 2,” Wanda’s transformation into a villain was dramatic, leaving many viewers struggling to accept it given her complex character development in “WandaVision.” While she had always shown signs of turmoil, some felt that the 2022 film exaggerated this aspect. What made matters worse was the revelation that Wanda’s children were alive throughout the movie, effectively invalidating her entire story arc and making it seemingly pointless.

Why Wanda didn’t know Billy was still alive

“Every witch having a pulse can sense you now,” is what Agatha said to Billy when the symbol on him was destroyed. This made for an appropriate ending to “Familiar By Thy Side” as that episode also disclosed who had placed the symbol on Billy originally. It turns out it was none other than Lilia Calderu, played by Patti LuPone herself.

Before his unfortunate accident, young William Kaplan was celebrating at his Bar Mitzvah. That evening, he chose to have his fortune told by a witch who had been hired for the event. It turned out that this witch was named Lilia, and when reading his palm, she foresaw two distinct destinies: those of William Kaplan and Billy Maximoff. After he departed, she marked him with a symbol to keep other witches from locating him. This action erased his existence from her memory as soon as it was completed.

Marvel just made its most controversial movie totally pointless

It seems that Billy possesses talents much like his mother’s, making him nearly as potent. This might have marked him as a potential threat among other witches. You may recall how Wanda’s full powers triggered the Hex, which attracted Agatha to Westview. Given this, Lilia may have foreseen William’s destiny (which involved Billy) and cast a protective sigil on him to shield him from harmful witchcraft.

Although this shield had a significant advantage for him, it also kept Wanda at bay. Not long after dismantling the Hex, Wanda departed Westview. It’s possible she soared above the site of William Kaplan’s car accident, his hospital in Billy’s recovery, or even his home in Eastview, yet remained unaware that her son was alive. This symbol serves to conceal identities from all witches, and it appears that Wanda, the Scarlet Witch, is also subject to this rule.

However, since the Sigil has been shattered, our thoughts naturally turn to Billy’s future. Yet, we find ourselves reminiscing about Agatha’s words: “Every witch with a pulse can sense your presence.” If Wanda is indeed alive, she may well pick up on his signals too.

Marvel just made its most controversial movie totally pointless

Considering everything, it’s quite surprising that the animated series Agatha All Along seems to be a truer continuation of the story from WandaVision compared to the movie, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Although the film did carry on the narrative initiated by the Disney Plus series, it missed out on some of the nuances in its storytelling, which left fans of the Scarlet Witch somewhat disappointed.

Regarding the contribution to the plot, Agatha All Along only faintly continued a few aspects from the original story, including Wanda’s suggested demise and the wreckage of the Darkhold – these elements haven’t been significant in many episodes beyond the first one.

As a devoted fan, I must say that Agatha All Along has seamlessly picked up where WandaVision left off and skillfully expanded on Wanda Maximoff’s story. It’s now making me question if the contentious incidents surrounding Wanda in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness were truly essential to the narrative after all.

2024-10-18 19:31