[ad_1]
Since Iron Man kicked off the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2008, Marvel Studio has carefully changed classic comic book designs to make the theatrical version of beloved heroes look less campy. Of course, there are some moments Marvel Studios nods at the original looks of heroes and villains, like with that brilliant Richard E. Grant cameo in Loki. Still, on rare occasions, Marvel Studios decides to reclaim classic comic book looks, often giving them a deeper meaning. That’s the case of Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen), whose Scarlet Witch crown became essential to her character development.
The Scarlet Witch’s Looks Changed in the MCU
Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby for 1964’s The X-Men #4, the Scarlet Witch’s original design followed the unfortunate trend for most female comic book characters at the time. That is, putting the heroine in a bikini-like costume and showing as much skin as possible. When adapting the character for the MCU, Marvel Studios was careful to give the Scarlet Witch a more realistic look and get as far away as possible from the unwanted sexualization of female heroes. As Olsen told us in an interview before the release of Avengers: Age of Ultron, “The first thing [director] Joss [Whedon] ever said to me before I even got the job when we were first meeting, he said, ‘When you look at the images, look at the comics, know that we are not making you look like that. You will not have to wear bathing suits or look like a porn star.’”
While Marvel Studio’s awareness of the comic books’ shortcomings is more than welcoming, the Scarlet Witch didn’t get an authentic uniform in Age of Ultron. And even after that, Wanda’s costume shared few similarities with her comic book counterpart. The most significant loss was the Scarlet Witch’s crown, the unique accessory the comic books used to distinguish Wanda from other characters. However, in 2021 Marvel Studios found the perfect excuse to bring the Scarlet Witch crown back meaningfully while also unleashing Wanda’s reality-breaking powers.
‘WandaVision’ Gave the Scarlet Witch Her Comic Book Look
Initially, Marvel Comics presented Wanda Maximoff as a powerful Mutant and the daughter of Magneto, the leader of the Brotherhood of Mutants. However, in 2015, when Age of Ultron was released, Disney still hadn’t bought Fox, and Marvel Studios couldn’t use Mutants. So, in the MCU, Wanda’s powers came from a Hydra experiment, through which the evil organization changed her physiology with the power of Loki’s Specter, secretively the Mind Stone. That was a fairly decent way to deal with the licensing drama and still bring a beloved character to the MCU. Still, the heroine didn’t have her full powers until the events of WandaVision, Disney+’s first Marvel Studios series.
WandaVision takes place in Westview, a town held hostage by Wanda, who recreates the perfect life inspired by sitcoms to deal with the trauma of Vision’s premature death. The show’s main villain, Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn), goes to Westview to steal Wanda’s powers since the young woman is the only witch capable of changing reality through her will alone. As Agatha reveals, the Mind Stone only awakened Wanda’s latent power because she was always the Scarlet Witch, even before Hydra’s experiments. For instance, Wanda’s powers kept her and her brother safe from the war in Sokovia when they were still children.
Before WandaVision, the MCU hadn’t used the moniker Scarlet Witch, constantly referring to the character by her real name, Wanda. However, after learning the truth about her powers through Agatha, Wanda is forced to accept that she’s an agent of Chaos capable of manipulating reality. By the end of the series, Wanda has taken a whole new identity, assuming her Scarlet Witch persona. So, it was more than fitting she would get a costume change. In addition, Marvel Studios felt this was the perfect opportunity to bring the Scarlet Witch’s crown back. So, in the series finale, Wanda proudly dons a comic book-accurate uniform, minus the unnecessary sexism.
Scarlet Witch’s Crown and Powers Gain New Meaning in ‘Doctor Strange 2’
The meaning of the Scarlet Witch’s powers and crown was further expanded in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. In the movie, Wanda becomes a threat to the entire Multiverse once her mind gets corrupted by the Darkhold, a book written by Chthon, the Elder God from who Chaos Magic originates. WandaVision already teases the history of the Scarlet Witch, but Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness expands on it by confirming Wanda is only the latest magic wielder to carry the title. She comes from a long line of witches, as Chthon is always trying to take hold of the Multiverse, and the Scarlet Witch is the Elder God’s ultimate weapon. In short, the Scarlet Witch is Chthon’s champion, and as such, she deserves a crown fit of a world conqueror.
In Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Wanda is not wearing a crown whenever she tries to hide her intentions or when the movie presents Variants of the character who were not corrupted by Chthon’s influence. However, when Wanda wants to intimidate her enemies, she gladly boasts her full magic uniform, including her crown. That is clear when she attacks Kamar-Taj and wipes the floor with the Sorcerer Supreme (Benedict Wong), proving she’s the strongest magic wielder in the MCU. This shouldn’t be a surprise since WandaVision director Matt Shakman has already said: “Scarlet Witch is the master of Chaos Magic, she makes things real. That’s what chaos magic is about, it’s not an illusion, it’s the ability to create things. That’s what makes her more powerful than the Sorcerer Supreme.”
At first, the MCU got rid of the Scarlet Witch crown because it was associated with a sexist uniform they didn’t want to replicate. However, as the character evolved through movies and series, Marvel Studios found a clever way to bring the classic uniform back, making it meaningful. We still don’t know when Wanda will appear next in the MCU. However, whenever she does, her crown will be a symbol of her mastery over Chaos Magic.
WandaVision and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness are available on Disney+.
[ad_2]
Source link
Armessa Movie News