The Multiverse Saga dilemma that Marvel Studios has with Avengers: Endgame might have been averted with their first plan for Avengers 5, but it wasn’t.
The Scarlet Witch would have fixed the Avengers: Endgame issue with the Multiverse Saga in Marvel Studios’ initial Avengers 5 plan. With Endgame, directors Joe and Anthony Russo did a remarkable job of completing the Infinity Saga. The MCU’s overall story involving Thanos and the Infinity Stones was successfully resolved in the 2019 blockbusters, and some of the franchise’s most adored characters, like Iron Man and Captain America, had heartfelt send-offs.
Future Avengers films will naturally always be compared to Avengers: Endgame given what it accomplished. Marvel Studios made the decision to use the Avengers films as MCU saga-cappers since they are fully aware of this. There are a number of problems with this. First of all, that implies that Avengers: Endgame and Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, which debuts in 2025, are separated by a six-year period. Second, the concept completely disallows smaller Avengers films, like Avengers: Age of Ultron, that primarily concentrate on Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and their group exploits.
Such issues would have been avoided if Marvel Studios had carried out its initial Avengers 5 plan. As it turns out, the Scarlet Witch’s transformation into a villain for the MCU wasn’t supposed to happen right away; it was meant to happen much later. The Scarlet Witch was being saved by Marvel to play the bad guy in Avengers 5. Wanda would have faced off against Doctor Strange, but writer Michael Waldron of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness persuaded the studio to abandon that plan. If Marvel Studios had stayed true to its original plan, Avengers 5 would have been sufficiently distinct from Avengers: Endgame to avoid any comparisons. Instead of moving it all the way back to, this would have allowed them to release it much earlier. As it stands now, the new Avengers won’t be able to fully assemble until 2024’s Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.
Wasted Scarlet Witch’s Villain Story in Doctor Strange 2
Given that both characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) are adept magicians, it was exciting to witness the Scarlet Witch battle Doctor Strange. However, Wanda’s narrative was eventually wasted in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. It was disappointing that the character, who is strong and interesting in Marvel Comics, was mostly absent from the Infinity Saga. With WandaVision as its opening act, MCU Phase 4 appeared to be finally giving her the credit she deserved. Unfortunately, it was a huge mistake to decide to continue her journey in a movie where she isn’t the main character. She couldn’t have gotten the attention she earned in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness since it wasn’t her movie. Marvel Studios might have given the Scarlet Witch a more prominent role in the narrative by making her the main antagonist of Avengers 5, just as they did with Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War.
It would now be difficult to use the Scarlet Witch as a villain once more without it becoming stale. There is a suggestion that she will start her redemption arc when she returns to the MCU at the conclusion of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Avengers 5 will undoubtedly be compared to Avengers: Endgame given that it will likewise be a significant crossover event, despite Marvel Studios having moved it all the way back to the conclusion of the Multiverse Saga.
