How WandaVision's Big Twist Sets Up Spider-Man 3 & Doctor Strange 2

WandaVision episode 7 was game-changing in more ways than one, including the reveal of Agatha Harkness and the first seeds for the plots of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Spider-Man 3. It's been increasingly patent that magic and the multiverse will be central themes in the MCU going forward. The details of how this will work out are still unknown, but WandaVision has opened the gateway for mind-boggling movies in Phase 4 and beyond.

The main reason why the MCU has been changing drastically in WandaVision is that Wanda Maximoff has been using her powers to alter reality around her. However, WandaVision episode 7 revealed that she's not in total control and that her friend, Agnes, is really the powerful witch, Agatha Harkness. The series did a perfect job of misdirection with Agatha Harkness, whose identity was always so obvious yet so deceitful. The shocking twist was also preceded by a more subtle introduction in the form of the "Nexus" commercial. From what one can gather from the episode, it seems that Agatha is absorbing magical power from Westview to gain access to an alternate reality or something similar.

In the comics, Nexus Beings are individuals who anchor their reality in a web of different dimensions. Scarlet Witch is the most notable of them, but other characters like Franklin Richards and Jean Grey are also worthy of the title. Given that Nexus Beings seem to be replacing the Infinity Stones as the MCU's next powerful (and sentient) McGuffins, there are many narrative routes future MCU movies and shows can take, particularly as the Nexus reference can also refer to the Nexus of All Realities, the hub to which all realities are connected. The two characters who will find themselves tangled in multiversal conflicts are Doctor Strange and Spider-Man, whose movies will likely follow the plot of WandaVision. Here's what the introduction of the Nexus and new magical entities in WandaVision's mean for the MCU's next two multiverse movies.

How WandaVision's Twist Sets Up Spider-Man 3

Scarlet Witch and Spider-Man with J Jonah Jameson in the MCU

Although Spider-Man's powers don't seem to relate too much to magic, he has been a very important figure for the multiverse throughout the years, most notably in the different iterations of the Spider-Verse. Following Wanda Maximoff in WandaVision, the MCU could make Peter Parker a Nexus Being himself, given that he's the intersection of multiple characters from alternate realities in the comics. Just like Agatha Harkness, the multiverse-watching Madame Web could serve as Spidey's friend and foe who goes after him due to his role in the crossroads between dimensions. In the comics and in 2018's Into The Spider-Verse, Spidey-related multiversal characters include Miles Morales, Spider-Gwen, and Spider-Ham, but in the third installment of the Spider-Man: Homecoming franchise, they are rumored to be Tobey Maguire's and Andrew Garfield's versions of Spidey, a few characters from Sony's universe of Spider-Man characters, and perhaps even one or two characters from Netflix's Defenders franchise.

The possible guest characters from different universes don't stop at superpowered individuals. Of course, it's all pure speculation at this point, but WandaVision's place in the MCU timeline heavily suggests that the events from Spider-Man: Far From Home have already foreshadowed some multiversal elements, including a common knowledge about alternate realities (from Mysterio's comment about the multiverse) and people who have already merged with the MCU (from J. Jonah Jameson's appearance in the movie's post-credits scene). In hindsight, these details align perfectly with the concepts established in WandaVision. It wouldn't be illogical for the Nexus of All Realities to be the reason for the J. Jonah Jameson from Sam Raimi's universe appearing in Spider-Man: Far From Home as well as Evan Peters' Quicksilver appearing in WandaVision. Along with Spider-Man's usual role in the Spider-Verse, expect Tom Holland's Peter Parker to be as crucial in connecting his corner of the Marvel universe to other realities. As WandaVision delivers more info about the multiverse, it will get easier for fans to connect the dots.

How WandaVision's Twist Sets Up Doctor Strange 2

Scarlet Witch, Stephen Strange, and Nightmare in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

It would be oddly out of character for Doctor Strange to ignore what's happening in Westview. The question now seems to be not if but when will the doctor interfere, particularly as Wanda Maximoff has a confirmed role in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The ending of WandaVision episode 7 might be exactly what the future Sorcerer Supreme is after: the mysterious magical book in Agatha's basement. Assuming this is the Necronomicon, the Darkhold, or the Book of Cagliostro, there would be no reason for Doctor Strange to focus on a different adventure while Agatha Harkness is exploiting its power. As Strange said to Tony Stark in Avengers: Infinity War (give or take a "douchebag" jab at the Avenger), his job is to "protect your reality." The book and the cross-dimensional Nexus of All Realities definitely threaten all he swore to protect.

The title of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is the most obvious tie to WandaVision. It's no secret that the multiverse will be broken right open, and Wanda is still the prime suspect. Agatha Harkness seems to know about her multiversal potential, which suggests that more than one magical entity could be on the brink of attacking. Hence, Doctor Strange may witness the rise of multiple villains in the future. Aside from the villain Nightmare, he could soon face Mephisto, Dormammu, Brother Voodoo, Enchantress, Doctor Doom, Ghost Rider, or Agatha Harkness herself, not to mention Scarlet Witch. With the Mind Stone gone, Doctor Strange may become the guardian of the Nexus, making him the biggest target for evil entities in the future.

What Nexus Means For The Future Of The MCU

Magic Users in Marvel Comics and the MCU

Spider-Man 3 and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness are two of the most popular MCU releases that will deal with the consequences of WandaVision. However, they're not the only ones. The Time Variance Authority may monitor Nexus Beings in Loki, which suggests the God of Mischief could be one of those individuals himself. Considering his magical abilities, his interactions with the Infinity Stones, and his stubborn refusal to die, Loki is one of the most obvious candidates for the multiversal role. On the other hand, there's little information about America Chavez, who will debut in the Doctor Strange sequel, but it's very likely that her ability to open portals to other realms will remain intact on the big screen.

Other characters who could be Nexus beings or who could have strong ties with WandaVision's magic and the multiverse outside Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Spider-Man 3 could be Doctor Doom, who has been a magic user in the comics, as well as the Fantastic Four's descendants Franklin Richards and Nathaniel Richards, with the latter set to appear in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania as Kang the Conqueror (although the MCU could change his identity). The inevitable introduction of mutants also means that characters such as Magik, Emma Frost, and Jean Grey may deal with magic more than with mutant issues. And, of course, the closest people to Wanda Maximoff are more prone to dealing with magic and alternate realities than anybody else. For instance, Quicksilver and Wiccan have already been set up as key figures in WandaVision, but Wanda's half-sister Polaris and her father Magneto, who was a key player in the "House of M" storyline, are other characters that can't be forgotten.

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