Wanda’s time-warping powers in the trailer seem to be a sign of The House of M event translating to the MCU
Marvel launched the WandaVision trailer in September. And as soon as it did, fans began connecting the dots. And it seems that the MCU might be adapting matter from House of M. The comic event is one of the most historic storylines in Marvel comics. Published first in 2005, it radically changed the status quo of the whole Marvel Universe in only a handful of issues. And guess who’s at the centre of it? Yes, Wanda Maximoff AKA Scarlett Witch.
Watch: WandaVision | Official Trailer | Disney+
In the House of M comic series, Wanda alters reality using her reality-warping powers.
This was when she comes to know of her father’s identity, and societal pressures. The alteration results in a new reality where mutants are the dominant race on earth headed by Magneto. Humans are considered inferior. It is one of the most important events in the life of the Scarlett Witch in Marvel.
Wanda Maximoff’s Origin in Marvel Comics and the MCU
Now let us talk a bit about the origin story of Wanda Maximoff. According to the Marvel comics, Pietro and Wanda were brought up by Django and Marya Maximoff. Later, in the 80s, we came to know that Magneto was their actual father. He and his lover got separated after some years, after which she gave birth to Wanda and Pietro at the peak of Mount Wundagore. The dark energy that emanated from the demon which lived in that mountain gave them their powers. This was the origin story accepted by all until Avengers: Age of Ultron hit the big screen in 2015.
In Avengers: Age of Ultron, the parents of Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) and Pietro (Aaron Taylor Johnson) are not shown but only alluded to. The kids survived the explosion of their home but the parents are assumed dead in the mortar shield (manufactured by Stark Industries) hit. This hatred for Stark grew with time, and both of them took part in experiments headed by a Hydra scientist, Baron von Strucker to take revenge. The twins received their superpowers from the experiments that made use of the Mind Stone (then attached to Loki’s sceptre).
In the MCU, Wanda and her brother Pietro received their superpowers from the experiments that made use of the Mind Stone
Why the difference in Scarlet Witch’s origin story?
Marvel has only recently struck a deal with 20th Century Fox that now enables it to bring in the mutants into the MCU. However, this was not the case in 2015 when Avengers: Age of Ultron came out. So, Marvel couldn’t use Magneto and hence had to alter the storyline. Neither could Marvel use the mutant nature of Scarlet Witch (Wanda) as shown in the House of M nor her parentage and her reality-altering magic. Nonetheless, Kevin Feige confirmed Wanda is one of the most powerful characters in the MCU. And House of M shows us only a glimpse of what she can do. But it seems that Marvel is going to make use of her a lot more than just in a series.
Scarlet Witch and MCU House of M
The alteration of reality by Scarlett Witch in House of M that made mutants the dominant race certainly had repercussions.
Avengers Disassembled (2004) comic saw Scarlet Witch’s power reach unimaginable heights. Magneto took her to Charles Xavier, who was using his psychic powers to treat her. But he was failing time and again. The Avengers and the X-Men held a meeting to decide how to solve the problem. While some wanted her dead, others didn’t agree. Quicksilver, one of those who disagreed naturally, rescued her. He tempted her to make a new world where all the mutants had their desires fulfilled.
Thus the House of M (Magnus) took shape. What acted as the catalyst here was that at that point, Scarlett Witch believed Magneto to be her father. However, she still had some sanity to introduce a flaw in her altered reality- a character called Layla Miller. Layla was able to bring back the memories of some of the superheroes. These superheroes confronted the leaders of the House of M once they realized that they had been manipulated. This made Scarlett Witch restored the earlier reality with only a few mutants. But these mutants too waged a war against Magneto’s forces after remembering what had happened.
And thus Scarlett Witch unleashed her wrath and in her final “no more mutants” curse, wiped of 98% of the world’s mutants. Then, she vanished and would appear only after many years. Interestingly, we saw a House of M Easter egg in the WandaVision trailer further confirming fans speculations.
WandaVision has already shown us that Vision is alive. The only plausible way for this is to say that Wanda has created a new reality/pocket dimension for this. Another way to look at the alternate reality concept is the series’ homage to classic television that is wrapped up in a larger story.
This makes sense as we have already found out that Scarlett Witch will be seen in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness too. This shows that Marvel has bigger things in store for Scarlett Witch in its Phase 4 than just the House of M.
Introducing the Spider-verse & the X-Men
WandaVision can be the first in a series of Marvel films that will showcase alternate realities just like House of M.
This is established by the return of Jamie Foxx as Electro in the upcoming Spider-Man 3 movie. The movie will also apparently see Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield reprising their respected Spider-Man. Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) will also be there in it. All this seems like the perfect justification for Marvel to bring in the X-men into MCU. The House of M “Decimation” (altering of reality) by Wanda may bring in more mutants like herself. With the multiverse already brewing, the MCU Phase 4 can be the perfect place for the X-Men and the House of M. “You didn’t see that coming?”
