WandaVision episode 5 saved a big reveal for the end: the return of Quicksilver but played by Evan Peters, but his appearance might hint at something bigger and more dangerous, and he could be the real villain of the series. Now that the Infinity Saga has come to an end with Spider-Man: Far From Home after the events of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is moving on with Phase 4, which will not only cover movies but also TV shows to stream exclusively on Disney+.
First in line is WandaVision, set after the events of Avengers: Endgame and focused on Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen). It follows Wanda and Vision (Paul Bettany) as they live an idyllic suburban life in the town of Westview, with each episode done in the style of sitcoms from different decades. As the story progresses, viewers learn that things are not what they seem, and the truth behind Westview and Wanda and Vision’s “perfect” family life might be too dark. WandaVision episode 4 served as a prequel and explored Monica Rambeau’s (Teyonah Parris) involvement in Westview, and episode 5 took viewers back to Wanda’s world, where her twin children grew alarmingly fast and there were more hints at the town’s residents, including Vision, becoming aware of what’s happening. However, the biggest reveal and twist in the series so far came at the end of the episode with the arrival of Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver, Wanda’s dead twin brother, though he’s not the version the MCU had seen before.
Quicksilver made his MCU debut alongside Wanda in Avengers: Age of Ultron, where he died during the Battle of Sokovia. Aaron Taylor-Johnson played Quicksilver, but at the same time, in Fox’s realm of Marvel characters, the same character was being played by Evan Peters in the X-Men prequels. Peters' first appearance as Quicksilver was in X-Men: Days of Future Past, and he reprised his role in X-Men: Apocalypse and Dark Phoenix. Following the Disney/Fox merge, a lot has been speculated about the X-Men joining the MCU, and while it seems like WandaVision took the first step in that direction, the appearance of Peters’ Quicksilver might not be what many think, and he might actually be the villain of the series.
Wanda Hinted She Can’t Really Revive Dead People
Even before WandaVision premiered on Disney+, there was a lot of speculation on how Vision could be alive and well, living a somewhat normal life next to Wanda, and it was generally assumed that Wanda somehow resurrected Vision, most likely being an illusion she created to cope with his death. This was hinted at in WandaVision episode 5 when S.W.O.R.D. acting director Tyler Hayward (Josh Stamberg) showed his team footage from security cameras revealing Wanda stealing Vision’s death body sometime before the events of the series. However, minutes later, their family’s dog, Sparky, died and Wanda’s children, Tommy and Billy, asked her to bring him back as she can supposedly revive dead beings, but Wanda told them she can’t. Sparky’s death was necessary to show that Wanda isn’t in full control of Westview and what happens there, and if she couldn’t bring Sparky back, then she might have not been able to revive Vision either as has been believed.
Following the reveal of Wanda taking Vision’s body and before Sparky died, Tommy and Billy asked Wanda if she had a brother, with her once more remembering Pietro (as she did in episode 3 when she gave birth to her twins). This raised the question of how she could bring him back if Pietro died years ago and thus she would have no access to his body, and it was later made clearer that she doesn’t really have the power of bringing people back from the dead. This is also why WandaVision’s Pietro is different, as this isn’t really Wanda’s twin brother, but he’s somehow manifesting in Wanda’s new reality, even though she didn’t really bring him back, so there’s surely someone else behind Westview and what’s happening there.
WandaVision Hints Someone Else Is Controlling Scarlet Witch (& Quicksilver)
There are still a lot of questions waiting to be answered about Westview, Wanda, and what drove her to create this reality and take a whole town hostage, but there have been many hints so far that Wanda isn’t acting alone. While Wanda does have control over the town and its residents, mentally controlling them as seen with Norm, she doesn’t have full control. A big hint at this is how shocked Wanda was to see Pietro back and as a different person, showing that she didn’t deliberately bring him back. This can also explain why she took Vision’s body and a whole town to create her own, as she was seemingly fine at the end of Avengers: Endgame, so the breakdown that drove her to do all this might have been provoked by someone else – and that someone not only has full control over Westview but also Wanda.
Marvel Villains Evan Peters Could Be Playing In WandaVision
Although so far WandaVision has hinted at Wanda being the villain, as she has taken control of an entire town and made believe those around it that Westview doesn’t exist, truth is that the series’ real villain hasn’t been revealed yet – or at least not in an obvious way. There has been a lot of speculation and various theories on WandaVision’s villain hiding in plain sight as to have better control of Wanda, with many pointing at Dottie (Emma Caulfield Ford), the neighborhood’s queen bee, as the real villain in disguise. With Dottie now mysteriously absent from recent episodes, the villain’s new form could be that of Quicksilver, albeit a different version of him. As Wanda was starting to break, as seen in episode 5 with her being a bit reckless with her powers in front of Agnes and later her confrontation with Vision about what’s going on, the villain and actual puppet master needs to regain control of Wanda, and what better way to do it than through the image of one of the people closest to her heart.
As for who this villain could be, there are two possibilities, and they have both been the subject of many fan theories not only about WandaVision but other upcoming Marvel projects, most notably Loki and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. First off is Nightmare, an evil, demonic entity serving as ruler of the Nightmare Realm within the Dream Dimension, where tormented humans are brought during their sleep. In the comics, Nightmare has spent decades tormenting various Marvel heroes and is best known for being one of Doctor Strange’s biggest enemies – and as WandaVision will tie into Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Nightmare seems like a viable option to be the show’s villain. Of course, how Wanda came into contact with Nightmare is unknown, but he could be using the young hero to take over this realm, and once Wanda realizes what she has done, she could end up breaking open the multiverse, making way for the events of Doctor Strange 2.
The second option is Mephisto, who has also been theorized to be the main villain in the upcoming series Loki. Mephisto is a demon who can use his powers to project illusions, manipulate memories, and alter time, all of which fit quite well with what has been happening in WandaVision so far. At one point in his life, Mephisto manipulated the sorcerer Master Pandemonium into gathering the five fragments of his soul that were lost after an encounter with Franklin Richards, and when Wanda tried to use magic to have children with Vision, she unknowingly summoned two of those fragments, which were later born as her twins. This, along with the loss of her children when they reabsorbed into him, drove Wanda insane. Mephisto’s presence in the MCU might have already been hinted at in the first trailer for Loki, which included a scene with Mobius M. Mobius (Owen Wilson) at a church with a stained glass window in the background, showing a horned figure very similar to Mephisto. This demon, then, could be taking the shape of Dottie and now a different Quicksilver to keep control of Wanda, and as he can project illusions, this seems to fit into WandaVision’s story.
Evan Peters as WandaVision’s Villain Would Be Better Than His Pietro Return
Following the Disney/Fox merge, Marvel fans have been waiting for the X-Men to join the MCU, so Evan Peter’s appearance as Quicksilver was an exciting revelation, but it comes with an expiration date. As this isn’t Wanda’s Pietro, he wouldn’t be able to stick around for long, and his appearance in WandaVision would be nothing more than a tease with no real reward. Having Peters as the main villain, on the other hand, opens up a variety of possibilities for his MCU future. Quicksilver’s return was already an exciting twist, but being revealed as the villain in disguise would be a bigger one that would, in turn, make way for an even bigger twist, while also extending Peters’ time in the MCU as this would give him a more prominent role not only in WandaVision but other projects as well, especially Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Quicksilver’s return in WandaVision, while exciting, also raises a lot of red flags about Wanda’s powers, her control over this reality she has created, and the real mastermind behind Westview and Wanda’s breakdown, and the truth behind his appearance can have a bigger impact in the rest of the MCU than the possible introduction of the X-Men.