Scarlet Witch is the Best Hope to Defeat Kang

The Avengers are about to face their biggest threat yet in the upcoming Avengers films. Kang teases the dangers and devastation of a multiversal war. Despite the Avengers having powerful individuals in their ranks, up to this moment none has the power level to defeat the time lord, other than one — the Scarlet Witch. There are many rumors concerning the inevitable conflict between the Avengers and Kang’s variants. Going against such formidable foes requires a being that is equally, if not even more powerful, and the most promising candidate is none other than Wanda Maximoff.

What separates Wanda Maximoff from other Marvel Cinematic Universe characters is not only her powers, but also the fact that she is possibly a nexus being, capable of affecting probabilities and timelines. She is described as an entity of spontaneous creation, who will rule the cosmos or destroy it. Despite her apparent death after Doctor Strange 2, she might still be alive, since she has yet to fulfill the mystical prophecy that surrounds her and her role as a nexus being. By allowing the Scarlet Witch to be the key in defeating Kang, Marvel Studios can set her in a path of redemption after all the atrocities that she committed in Doctor Strange 2.

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WandaVision and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness showcased the awe-inspiring and destructive powers that the Scarlet Witch possesses. However, Wanda Maximoff’s abilities were recognized even before she became the Scarlet Witch. In Avengers: Age of Ultron the eponymous villain acknowledged her potential by stating that she could tear the Avengers apart from the inside. Later on, she would become an important asset in defeating Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War, as she was the only one who could destroy the Mind Stone. Even in Avengers: Endgame after her resurrection, she nearly succeeded in killing Thanos, who in order to save himself had to call for an air strike that killed his troops.

Even so, Wanda’s powers were nothing compared to what she would eventually become. In WandaVision viewers saw that the Mind Stone was attracted to her latent potential, even augmenting her powers. In the series, Wanda Maximoff learned about her true nature; that she was a mythical witch, able to alter reality with chaos magic. She unknowingly created an ideal reality in which Vision and her made a family and where she transformed into the Scarlet Witch. Agatha Harkness noted that Wanda had no idea what she unleashed to the world, and true enough, viewers got a glimpse of her devastating power in Doctor Strange 2, all the while being corrupted by the Darkhold. The Scarlet Witch would eventually break free of its influence, destroying every copy in the multiverse. These are but a few instances that showcase how instrumental the Scarlet Witch can be in the fight against Kang, who like her can control both time and reality.

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The Scarlet Witch’s lore is surrounded by mystery. She is described as being more powerful than the Sorcerer Supreme and that she is destined to either destroy the world or to rule it. In the comics, the Scarlet Witch has changed reality on few occasions, and she is currently the nexus being of Earth-616. Nexus beings are unique individuals that have the ability to affect the future and the Sacred Time Stream. As seen in Loki, the Time Variance Authority is tasked with stopping nexus events and the variants who case them. During the infamous WandaVision commercials, audiences saw the mention of something called “nexus”. The nexus pill commercial comments on anchoring oneself to the reality of their choosing, and how the world revolves around a nexus individual. Wanda can possibly be a nexus being, but she is not alone. Kang is also one in the comics, so it would not be far-fetched that a nexus being is the only one to defeat another one.

With Loki season 2, fans are witnessing what dangers await should the multiverse unravel. In many ways, Kang is a more terrifying figure than Thanos since he is smarter more unpredictable and more ruthless. Until now, no one has been able to best the Scarlet Witch in battle, except for Thanos who erased her from existence. Even in Doctor Strange 2, no one was able to actually defeat Scarlet Witch, other than herself. Once she realized how deeply she was corrupted by the Darkhold, the Scarlet Witch seemingly sacrificed herself to destroy it. It is for this reason that she is a formidable ally to have in order to defeat the time lord, since she will not think twice to risk her own life to save others.

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With great power comes great responsibility, but in the case of the Scarlet Witch it comes with great tragedy. Wanda has lost many people in her life, such as her parents, her brother, her lover, and her children. In Doctor Strange 2 she found a way to be with her children by leeching herself into another universe where a variant of herself lives with them. In her crusade to achieve this goal she killed many sorcerers and super-powered beings in at least two realities. Despite her being influenced by the Darkhold, Wanda has shown in the past that she is haunted by her misdeeds. Some examples are when she accidently blew up a building in Lagos and when she held the town of Westview hostage in her makeshift reality.

Despite being an Avenger, Wanda has done atrocities in the name of love. However, even her comic book counterpart managed to surpass her. She disassembled the Avengers and managed to depower more than 90% of mutant-kind just by saying the words “No more mutants”. The Scarlet Witch in the comics went through many years of trying to make amends, something which she has managed to do 17 years after these events. By letting the Scarlet Witch defeat Kang in the MCU, or at least be instrumental in his defeat, Marvel Studios would create a new narrative for Wanda’s redemption arc. Additionally, she would be able to finally associate her title with a heroic deed, instead of being tarnished by her short period of insanity.

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The Scarlet Witch has proven to be one of the most complex and intriguing characters in the MCU. She provides the opportunity for Marvel to reshape the way it handles topics such as motherhood, love, and the consequences that actions have. With the Avengers facing Kang in the upcoming Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars, they will need as much help as the can get. An ongoing rumor states that the superhero team will lose against Kang in the first movie, only to be aided in the last one by a team of multiversal superheroes that the TVA brought together to defeat He Who Remains and the Council of Kangs. Since the Scarlet Witch is most definitely a nexus being, she could be the catalyst which will lead to his defeat.

Whether this theory is plausible or not, the MCU is certainly not done using the Scarlet Witch yet. The upcoming Agatha: Darkhold Diaries series is a direct spin-off of WandaVision and it is possible that the Scarlet Witch will reappear. In response of a multiversal war, the Avengers need the help of powerful individuals, even those who have been morally corrupted. In the end of the day, despite her troubled past and dark deeds, Wanda Maximoff is above all else a hero. She may have lost her path, but much like Professor Charles Xavier said to Stephen Strange in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness; “Just because someone stumbles and loses their way doesn’t mean they’re lost forever.” The Scarlet Witch has yet to define her role in the universe. One could argue that instead of ruling it or destroying it, she can make her own destiny and save it. Only time will tell if she can live up to her potential and to show that she is still a hero and not a villain.