Here's What's Wrong With Wanda Maximoff in 'Multiverse of Madness'
It could all be okay if it was a variant, but since it's not…
Warning: major spoilers for 'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' ahead!
It looks like the Doctor Strange sequel actually has us all lowkey routing for a crazy murderous character. Wanda Maximoff, a.k.a. Scarlet Witch, appears to be fully responsible for the "madness" part of the movie title, straightforwardly going on a killing spree, driven by a firm belief that she is capable of saving her children whom she created in Westview in 'WandaVision' TV series.
The thing about Wanda in 'Multiverse of Madness' is that her actions, even though undoubtedly morally wrong, have a reasonable explanation. Besides, we all grew up on her and got attached to the character as she opened up to us in 'WandaVision', so, when one follows Wanda's journey through the multiverse, one cannot help but feel for her.
But, you know, the burning someone alive part…
It's not the only thing that feels wrong about Wanda in 'Multiverse of Madness'. Despite realizing that her Westview illusion was far from real life in 'WandaVision', Wanda seems to just not be ready to accept what has happened to her, however tragic it may be.
She would endanger her friends without doubt; she would threaten people who do not want (initially) to harm her, and she would let dark magic corrupt her and push her to cross every moral border there was.
According to Elizabeth Olsen, however, Wanda does what she does for certain reasons that can be understood. The actress told Digital Spy that she will always be more of an "attorney" to her character, and it would be wrong to just pin the label of a "crazy woman" on her.
After all, it's also worth noting that at the end of the movie, Wanda seems to have realized the horrors she inflicted upon her own universe while chasing the alternate ones. It turns out that Wanda herself – or, more precisely, her variant – was the only one who was able to change her troubled mind. Having destroyed the Wundagore Mountain castle, Wanda is in rubbles herself. It's unclear whether she'll make it out alive, but it would definitely be interesting for us to watch her redemption arc – if there will be one, of course.