WandaVision's premise alone suggests Scarlet Witch has used her abilities in a more powerful way than ever before - and she's likely to only grow stronger as a result of the series. Given Scarlet Witch has had a scarce amount of screen time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe after the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron, the potential of WandaVision is not only that it allows an under-appreciated character to have the spotlight, but also allows for her unusual powers to be explained further and expanded upon.
Understandably, the version of Wanda seen in the MCU is portrayed as significantly less powerful than her comic counterpart tends to be. This is partially for some obvious plot reasons - as a whole lot of fights and turmoil could potentially have been solved single-handedly by her powers were she a more experienced hero - and also no doubt for the sake of narrative growth potential, as few heroes are introduced to the universe at their full fighting potential. Indeed, as the plot of WandaVision appears to hinge on the idea of Scarlet Witch unknowingly using her powers to make her "perfect" world, the premise only fully works with a version of the character who hasn't yet learned the boundaries and full extent of her abilities.
This is exactly why the series should mark the point at which Wanda learns the finer details of her superpowers, and grows even further in power and prowess by doing so. WandaVision appears to be loosely based around the famous House of M comic, which also sees Wanda use her abilities to change reality - twice. Wanda initially changes the world after suffering a mental breakdown, and this trauma appears to allow her a far greater ability to warp reality. There's evidence that this stress-based enhancement could also be an element of Scarlet Witch's power capacity in the MCU, as her superhuman skills can only be done when she is completely focused on them - something that intense emotion would allow her to do in order to exact revenge or eke out justice, and potentially could permanently boost her abilities if the emotion is long-lasting. It's not an entirely pleasant thought to consider the fact that Scarlet Witch discovering she'd created a fake universe could be a benefit to her powers, but it is the potential reality of things - especially if Vision turns out to have not been brought back from the dead by Wanda's powers, and is instead just an illusion.
There is, of course, another crucial reason Wanda should become stronger as a result of the changes in WandaVision. Despite her powers having an almost endless capacity for chaos, Scarlet Witch never properly receives anything in the realm of a trainer or mentor. While this is excusable under the context that Wanda never seemed totally out of control, the events of WandaVision show evidently she's in need of someone to fit this role, or at the least someone to guide her through how to ensure her abilities aren't used inadvertently. Since Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness is thought to be linked to WandaVision, it could well be that Stephen Strange is the perfect man for the job - or the perfect man to search the multiverse for someone who can be of assistance, should he prove too busy foiling various evil plots.
One of the major criticisms launched at the introduction of Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch in Avengers: Age of Ultron was that it didn't feel as though they belonged in the universe. This was not solely in regards to the fact they were two mutant characters in a world that didn't yet have mutants or X-Men, but also that there didn't seem to be a clear plan as to how their character arcs would benefit the greater franchise. As such, seeing Wanda become more important in terms of her powers and her storylines through WandaVision retroactively invalidates these concerns, and allows fans an undeniably unique viewing experience compared to the rest of the current MCU as a result.
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January 12, 2021 at 05:43AM
