WandaVision Is Retconning Scarlet Witch As A Sorceress (Not A Mutant)
WandaVision is retconning Scarlet Witch's powers, but as a sorceress, not a mutant. When Scarlet Witch was first introduced to the MCU, she was portrayed as a "miracle." Wanda and her brother Quicksilver were the only test subjects to survive Hydra's experiments with the Mind Stone. But it's long been clear Marvel planned to retcon Scarlet Witch's powers in some way; for years now, Marvel figures have pretty openly discussed the idea of redefining her power set.
The only question has been whether Scarlet Witch would be retconned as a mutant or as a sorceress. There is comic book precedent for either approach; Wanda was considered a mutant for much of her comic book history, but all that changed as a result of 2014's AXIS storyline. There, a magical spell revealed there was actually no blood tie between Wanda and Magneto, and that her prior history was actually a deception. Rather than be considered a mutant, modern comics view Scarlet Witch as a sorceress. Marvel actually appear to be doubling down on this decision; she is despised by the modern mutant community, viewed almost as a devil figure. So it was anybody's guess whether Marvel Studios would retcon Scarlet Witch as a mutant or a mystic.
That question finally appears to have been answered in WandaVision episode 7. This episode revealed Scarlet Witch has been tapping into some sort of mystical "nexus" that allows her to rewrite the nature of reality itself. She is not the only one able to use the power of the nexus, however; episode 7 also confirmed long-standing fan theories that the character of Agnes is actually the dark witch Agatha Harkness. Importantly, when Agatha introduced herself to Wanda, she mocked her by asking if she really thought she was the only "magic-user" in town. This seems to confirm once and for all that Marvel is retconning Scarlet Witch not as a mutant, but as a sorceress.
This approach actually fits with comments from Kevin Feige about retconning Scarlet Witch back in 2016. While promoting Doctor Strange, Feige made a throwaway comment about Wanda's powers as well. "Her powers, she's never had any training," he observed, "I'm talking about Scarlet Witch. She never had any training; she's figuring it out. Arguably, you could say that that's why her powers are much more chaotic and much more loose in the way that we showcased those light effects. In [Doctor Strange], some of what you might see today, even the cover of Entertainment Weekly, it's much tighter. It's all about focus. It's all about pulling energies from other dimensions in an organized and purposeful fashion, which is why they can do a lot more than she can in, at least, a much more precise way." It looks as though Marvel's plans for Scarlet Witch have not changed.
Of course, it is possible Marvel will choose what could be called a "double retcon," revealing Wanda as both a mutant and a sorceress. This is, however, unlikely; while the comics themselves are full of retcons, this is a result of differing creative teams over the decades. It is difficult to believe Marvel Studios – which benefits from the singular vision of Kevin Feige – will ever choose to indulge in retcons to the same degree as the comics. To paraphrase Oscar Wilde, one retcon is unfortunate; two looks like carelessness. And so, it seems the die is cast; the MCU is officially retconning Scarlet Witch as a sorceress in WandaVision, not as a mutant.
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