WandaVision Showrunner Didn’t Expect Fans To Assume X-Men Connection

WandaVision showrunner Jac Schaeffer didn't expect fans to assume Evan Peters' appearance in the show was an X-Men crossover. Disney+'s first Marvel series had a good amount of twists and turns throughout its run, but perhaps the most exciting one was the appearance of Evan Peters as Quicksilver aka "Fietro". Peters' casting had long been rumored, and many immediately assumed he would be playing the 20th Century Fox version of Quicksilver from the X-Men films.

Viewers thought this had come true when Peters appeared at the end of WandaVision episode 5, "On A Very Special Episode..." Things took a turn, though, when it was revealed nosy neighbor Agnes was actually sorceress Agatha Harkness and that she had been controlling Peters' character. It then came out in the finale that Peters' character was the mysterious Ralph, a struggling actor, and notably not a mutant.

Fans may have been disappointed by this reveal, but Schaeffer told Variety that she never thought Peters' presence would lead to viewers thinking WandaVision was a Multiverse breaking series. The showrunner admits to being a little bit naïve when it comes to fan theories like this. Schaeffer goes on to say that, ultimately, she and the writers are delighted with the response to the show, both in terms of Wanda's story about her grief and the fan involvement that led to some of the wilder theories.

Naively, I didn’t expect people to get carried away [with Evan Peters' character] in that way. I’m curious to hear what Lizzie has to say about this, but we didn’t anticipate that the show would drop after a full year of an MCU drought in the middle of a pandemic. I think we’re all so delighted by the response and so happy, I think, especially about the emotional response and how our discussion of grief has been embraced. I can speak for my writers room, I think that was our chief motivation and guiding light, and then all the other things are the fun of it.

I couldn’t have anticipated… I don’t know, maybe Mary Livanos and Kevin Feige are like, “Yeah, it’s like this every time.” But I’m like, these theories are crazy! [Laughing] So it wasn’t that was not part of my thinking, and also, that’s not my department. I am lucky enough that I get to hear about the other projects and sometimes I’m involved and their conversations. I know a little bit about all the things that Lizzie’s been up to. But that’s a bigger, fancier thing, what you’re asking about.

Pietro and Wanda in WandaVision Episode 6 Halloween Comic-Accurate Costumes

It's safe to assume that even if Schaeffer didn't know how fans would react, someone at the studio knew Peters' appearance on WandaVision would at least spark some conversations about whether or not the X-Men would finally make their MCU debut. This bit of trick casting has proved to be somewhat controversial, with many ending up disappointed by Peters' character's true identity. Even Elizabeth Olsen thought Peters was playing his character from the X-Men movies at first.

With Olsen set to star in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, it seemed likely WandaVision would be introducing the Multiverse in one way or another. The show's story ended up being much smaller in scale, a meditation on grief that proved vital to Wanda Maximoff's journey. Still, WandaVision certainly seemed to set up the Multiverse, just in smaller, less noticeable ways that will be followed through on in upcoming MCU projects. Despite some viewers being disappointed, it's probably for the best WandaVision chose to focus on its titular characters rather than a grander, over-arching story.

More: Ralph Could Still Be X-Men's Quicksilver: WandaVision Fakeout Theory Explained

Source: Variety