Why Wanda Maximoff Might Be the Real Villain of the MCU

Wanda Maximoff, aka the Scarlet Witch, has long been a fan favorite in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Her journey from a tortured, vengeful character to a hero who sacrificed everything for the greater good has made her one of the most complex figures in the MCU. However, beneath her tragic backstory and emotional struggles, there lies a darker side to Wanda that many fans have started to question. Could it be that Wanda Maximoff might be the real villain of the MCU all along?

From manipulating entire realities to destroying multiverses, Wanda’s power and decisions have been as dangerous as they have been heroic. But as her character develops, one thing becomes clearer: her actions have consequences, and those consequences might just be more destructive than anything Thanos ever did. Let’s delve into the reasons why Wanda Maximoff could very well be the MCU’s most dangerous villain, even if she doesn’t fit the classic mold.

Wanda’s Actions in WandaVision: Heroic or Destructive?

At the heart of Wanda Maximoff’s story lies her grief. After losing her brother Pietro in Avengers: Age of Ultron and her beloved Vision in Avengers: Infinity War, Wanda’s mental state and emotional fragility were pushed to the limit. This pain, however, led her to do something extraordinary—and terrifying. In WandaVision, Wanda created an entire reality, trapping an entire town of Westview residents in an illusion while she lived out a perfect, idyllic life with Vision.

While it was clear that Wanda’s intentions were born from grief, she manipulated the minds of hundreds, forcing them to live in her fabricated world for months. This mind control, which she justified as a coping mechanism, left townspeople tortured, unable to break free from her will. In a desperate attempt to retain her fantasy, Wanda cruelly eliminated anyone who tried to wake up from the illusion, revealing just how far she was willing to go for her own happiness.

This act of manipulating reality wasn’t simply a one-time mistake. It was a deliberate choice made out of selfishness and an unwillingness to confront the painful truth. Wanda Maximoff’s actions in WandaVision were a clear violation of her moral compass, a turning point in her character development, and a major sign that she wasn’t the straightforward hero fans had always hoped for.

The Scarlet Witch and the Darkhold: A Descent Into Madness

Wanda’s deepening descent into darkness takes a further turn in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The catalyst for her transformation into the Scarlet Witch was her exposure to the Darkhold, an ancient and incredibly powerful book that grants immense magical abilities but at a steep price. The Darkhold’s influence on Wanda was not subtle—it amplified her grief and desire to reunite with her lost children, pushing her further toward a path of destruction.

In Multiverse of Madness, Wanda’s obsession with her children from another universe leads her to take extreme measures. She seeks out the power to possess the body of her multiversal counterpart in a desperate attempt to reunite with them, leaving a trail of destruction in her wake. Her actions put the entire multiverse at risk, and her willingness to sacrifice countless innocent lives shows a clear disregard for the well-being of others. The path she takes in this film is not one of redemption but of corruption, as she becomes a threat to everyone in her pursuit of personal gain.

As Wanda Maximoff taps deeper into the power of the Darkhold, she becomes less of a heroine and more of a ruthless antagonist. The line between hero and villain begins to blur, and many fans started to wonder: was Wanda always this dangerous, or did the Darkhold simply bring out her worst traits?

Wanda Maximoff: A Villain Without a Clear Conscience?

What makes Wanda Maximoff such a compelling yet terrifying character is her complexity. Unlike other villains in the MCU who relish in power and chaos, Wanda is driven by a personal sense of loss, pain, and a desperate need for control. This emotional vulnerability makes her relatable but also unpredictable. Is she truly evil, or is she just lost in her grief and desire to fix what’s broken?

Perhaps Wanda’s biggest flaw is her lack of self-awareness. In her quest to right the wrongs of her life, she seems to justify her destructive actions as necessary for a greater good. But what happens when the greater good is simply her own happiness, regardless of the harm it causes others? Wanda doesn’t seem to fully grasp the impact of her actions on the people around her, and in doing so, she becomes a threat even without fully realizing it.

In fact, Wanda Maximoff’s power is so immense that she doesn’t even need to consciously choose to be a villain for her to wreak havoc. As the Scarlet Witch, her magic is inherently chaotic and uncontrollable, and when she is driven by her emotions, her powers cause irreparable damage. This makes her an extremely unpredictable force in the MCU—a villain with the potential to destroy everything in her path, regardless of intention.

The True Villain of the MCU?

Despite her actions in WandaVision and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Wanda Maximoff is still a tragic character—someone who lost everything, including her sense of morality. But the more we look at her story, the more we realize that her powers and decisions may be the very things that make her the real villain of the MCU.