Following WandaVision, Wanda Maximoff makes her MCU return in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The last time we saw her, she was studying the ancient spell book the Darkhold in the middle of nowhere… after dissolving her sit-com-inspired false reality.
The newly-crowned Scarlet Witch has a big role to play in Multiverse of Madness, and Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige previously confirmed WandaVision sets up the movie. But what do you need to remember about the events of the show before Doctor Strange 2? We explain all…
WandaVision recap: everything to remember before Doctor Strange 2
To understand WandaVision, we have to go a little further back in the Marvel timeline. In Avengers: Infinity War, Thanos kills Wanda's android boyfriend Vision because he has an Infinity Stone lodged in his head. Because Vision's not turned to dust like half the universe, when the Avengers bring everyone back in Avengers: Endgame, Vision remains dead. Wanda herself was turned to dust and returns in the final Avengers movie.
After coming back to life, Wanda goes to Westview, the town her and Vision were planning to grow old together in. Overcome with grief, she accidentally creates the Hex, a huge magical forcefield, that takes over Westview. Within the Hex, Wanda manifests a version of Vision, and the pair live happily married – even if the residents of Westview are all enslaved by this new reality, which just happens to be like a sitcom. Oh, and there's another witch, Agatha Harkness, on the scene. Later, after going through various eras of sitcoms, Wanda uses magic to create two children for herself and Vision, Billy and Tommy Maximoff. She also manifests an alternate version of her brother, Quicksilver (who turns out to not be her brother after all).
Agatha eventually captures Wanda, and in a series of flashbacks, we learn that she always had her magical powers – it was previously believed, due to what we saw in Avengers: Age of Ultron, that Wanda's powers were the result of HYDRA experiments with Loki's staff, which contained the Mind Stone, the Infinity Stone that originally gave life to Vision (hence Wanda and Vision's attraction). The evil Agatha, who's in possession of the dark magic book the Darkhold, then tries to steal Wanda's magic, believing her unworthy of her great power, but Wanda fights back.
Meanwhile, SWORD – an offshoot of SHIELD – has reconstructed a new version of Vision from the remains of his body. This version of the character, White Vision, doesn't have normal Vision's memories, and he arrives at Westview to kill Wanda. Wanda's Vision battles White Vision, and the pair end up in a logical fight that ends when White Vision gains the memories of Wanda's Vision. The new Vision flies away – and hasn't been seen since.
In the fight with Agatha, Wanda comes into her power as the Scarlet Witch, a being of immense power who is destined to destroy the world – and is more powerful than even the Sorcerer Supreme. She defeats Agatha and traps her as her sit-com alter-ego Agnes.
Ultimately, Wanda decides to bring down the Hex and to free the people of Westview. This means sacrificing Vision and their children, too, as they are tethered to the Hex. Wanda then takes the Darkhold and flies to a cottage in the middle of nowhere.
At first, it looks like she's simply living peacefully, but this turns out to be a façade – really, Wanda is inside studying the Darkhold. While reading it, she hears her children calling for her.
To get ready for Doctor Strange 2, see our ultimate guide to Marvel Phase 4, and check out all the other Marvel movies and shows to watch before Doctor Strange 2.
