Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness featured the extremely powerful Wanda Maximoff at the strongest she has ever been - but, also at the most broken. The newly anointed Scarlet Witch found herself at odds with Doctor Strange and the other sorcerers as she pursued America Chavez for the young hero's power.
Wanda has worked her way into fans' hearts over the last several years, as they followed her through her journey of pain and loss. Now, with the character's sudden fall from grace, she has truly become the most tragic character in the franchise, breaking the viewers' hearts on several distinct occasions.
Losing Her Parents
One of the worst things to ever happen to Wanda in her life was also one of the first, as a pleasant night with her family was suddenly cut short as a Stark Enterprises missile demolished their home, killing her parents and keeping Wanda and Pietro trapped under rubble for days. The two were only ten years old at the time.
This was the first moment visited during Wanda and Agatha Harkness's trip through the most tragic moments of Wanda's life, which clearly had a profound impact on her and her brother. This tragedy would spark enough rage in the twins to subject themselves to dangerous Hydra experiments in order to get back at Tony Stark for their parents' deaths.
"I Can't Feel You"
As the Mad Titan Thanos inched closer to completing his cosmic quest to gather each of the six Infinity Stones, Wanda was forced to kill her own boyfriend, Vision, whose head housed the final Stone. As he prepared for his final moments, Vision proclaimed that he wouldn't feel the pain, he would just feel Wanda. Years later, upon finding Vision's body, Wanda sought for any semblance of the man she had loved, only to realize that she couldn't feel him any longer.
WandaVision did wonders to flesh out Wanda and Vision's relationship, making it a pairing that audiences truly cared for. By the time that viewers witnessed Wanda's tearful discovery of her lover's body, they had become emotionally invested in the doomed relationship, allowing themselves to feel the pain of Vision's loss.
The Genesis
After returning from the Blip, Wanda discovered the Vision's plan for their future together: a quiet life in suburban New Jersey, where he had purchased a plot of land to build their home upon. As she took all this in, the emotion overtook Wanda and she broke down, creating in her grief the Hex that took over the town.
This scene not only explained how the Westview Hex came to be but also allowed audiences to empathize with Wanda's actions, even if they were objectively wrong. This moment reframes Wanda's takeover of Westview as being born of grief, not anger or selfishness.
Saying Goodbye To Her Children
In the finale episode of WandaVision, Wanda has come to the conclusion that she can no longer in good conscience maintain the Hex that has taken over the town. Unfortunately, this means giving up the two children she had conjured. She and Vision take the time to tuck their boys into bed one last time, knowing that there would be no morning after.
Wanda did many things during her takeover of Westview that are objectively wrong, yet the reality she had created was truly the fulfillment of her every dream. In order to do the right thing, she had to give up that dream, though it was what she wanted more than anything else. As the events of Multiverse of Madness would show, this loss would drive Wanda to new levels of grief that she would never truly recover from.
Closing The Hex
As the Westview Hex begins to close around them, Vision and Wanda take the time to say one more goodbye, not their first, and perhaps not their last. At the end of their conversation ends, Wanda watches as her husband disappears before her very eyes.
When Wanda initially cast her Hex over Westview, her main purpose was to create a life with Vision. As such, it was fitting that her final goodbye at the end of the Hex was with her husband. The two share some of the best-written dialogue in the MCU as they bid adieu, hoping beyond hope that they would find a way to be together someday.
Succumbing To Darkness
Multiverse of Madness introduced a Wanda far more dangerous than when she had last been seen in WandaVision. When Doctor Strange sought out her assistance with a multiversal issue, he comes to the unsettling realization that Wanda herself was the threat he sought to combat, having succumbed to the evils of the Darkhold.
Though Wanda was often a troubled individual, the audience has always sympathized with her, viewing her as a hero. Multiverse of Madness changed this, however, as the character allowed her grief to overtake her, ultimately proving to be one of the most powerful villains in the MCU yet, and thereby breaking the hearts of everyone that hoped she'd overcome her trials to become an even stronger Avenger.
Raiding Kamar-Taj
As one of her first acts as a true supervillain, Wanda Maximoff sacks Kamar-Taj, the sacred training grounds of the sorcerers supreme, all in an effort to capture America Chavez. Though the sorcerers put up a valiant fight, they were no match for Wanda, who massacred their ranks without breaking a sweat.
This fight scene solidified Wanda's villainous turn, as she proved herself willing to slaughter hundreds in her quest to reunite with her children. The Avenger that fans had once known was gone, replaced with a weapon of mass destruction, who no longer had any regard for innocent lives.
Trying To Kill America Chavez
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness introduced fans to the MCU's latest superhero, America Chavez, who would quickly prove to be one of the bravest new characters from the multiverse. However, she found herself at odds with Wanda herself, who sought to take her power as her own, killing Chavez in the process.
As if the other terrible things Wanda had done throughout the film weren't enough, her main goal in Multiverse of Madness was to kill a frightened child in order to reunite with her own children. As the Darkhold continued to supersede Wanda's good sense, it would appear that any semblance of the hero she once was had disappeared.
Killing The Illuminati
One of Multiverse of Madness's most talked-about scenes involved the Illuminati of Earth-838, which consisted of several exciting additions to the MCU's expansive list of cameos. However, the excitement from these characters' appearances would be short-lived, as Wanda arrived with a vengeance, attacking the clandestine council. And, though some of the Illuminati gave her a fight, none were able to stand up against her incredible power.
Not only did Wanda descend to one of her lowest moments in her massacre of the Illuminati, she also managed to shatter many fans' hopes and dreams, as long-awaited characters such as Mister Fantastic and Charles Xavier found themselves horrifically killed only moments after their introduction.
Sacrificing Herself
By the climactic battle in Multiverse of Madness, Wanda had wrought so much destruction that she had lost herself in her relentless quest for happiness. After being shown the error of her ways, Wanda opted to destroy the temple constructed in her honor in order to bring an end to the Darkhold in every universe. In doing so, Wanda appeared to die in the destruction.
Despite every terrible thing she had done over the course of the film, the audience was still hoping for Wanda's ultimate happiness. While the former Avenger eventually saw the light, it took the sacrifice of her own life to set things right. Fans can only hope that the Scarlet Witch somehow survived the collapse of the temple in hopes that she can have another chance to prove her heroism.