WandaVision producer Mary Livanos has spoken about how Evan Peters was specifically cast to further explore and emphasize Wanda’s experience of grief. One of WandaVision’s biggest and unexpected cliffhangers was the surprise appearance of Peters as Quicksilver at the end of episode 5, “On A Very Special Episode.” Many WandaVision fans immediately got to theorizing what this meant for the multiverse, with most assuming that Peters was reprising his role from 21st Century Fox’s X-Men films.

However, the final episode of WandaVision had one more unexpected twist up its sleeve. “The Series Finale” revealed that Pietro was in fact a man called Ralph Bohner, a Westview resident under Agatha Harkness’s control – and decidedly not a mutant, even if he looks like one. While some were disappointed that the ‘recasting’ of Pietro wasn’t a set-up for a future X-Men crossover and instead was a clever fake-out that led to a pretty dumb joke, ultimately the WandaVision creative team never intended for Peters to become the MCU’s Quicksilver.

Related: WandaVision's Pietro Twist Ruined Quicksilver's MCU Future

That’s not to say that Peters was only cast as a joke, however. In a recent interview with Comicbook.com, producer Mary Livanos explained the emotional reason behind exactly why casting Peters seemed like “the obvious choice” for exploring how grief was affecting Wanda and her powers. She stated that the act of recasting represents how memory recall can become difficult and details can become “fuzzy” after a loss, intentionally confounding both Wanda and the audience. Read the full quote below:

“In our studies of grief and grieving, a side effect that we found is when you lose someone, the details of memory recall can get fuzzy. So the idea that she kind of forgot exactly what her brother's face looked like, and perhaps her powers have been acting out again, we found really compelling. And we wanted the audience to be as confounded as Wanda and so Evan was the obvious choice for that. Though we knew that we wanted to sort of upend expectations. And so when we brought Evan in and explained exactly what the character was and where he ends up as Ralph, Evan was game. And we're so grateful for that."

WandaVision Episode 5 - Evan Peters as Quicksilver

Recasting Pietro was a fun and effective way to surprise the audience, while also paying homage to the regular and often unexpected recasting of characters in sitcoms throughout history. But at its core, WandaVision is a story set on poignantly exploring the stages of grief. When looked at through that lens, Fake Pietro also serves as an important reflection on memory and the devastating and confusing impact that a loss can have.

From that perspective, it’s clear to see why it’s ultimately a good thing that Peters ended up as Ralph Bohner instead of the key to bringing mutants into the MCU. WandaVision had its hands full with doing Wanda and Vision’s story justice, reintroducing Monica Rambeau and setting up Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness. Peters’ Pietro/Quicksilver was a great way to use the audience’s expectations against them, but his character works best as an extension of the main story surrounding Wanda and what she’s lost.

Next: Evan Peters' Quicksilver Timeline Explained: All X-Men Movie Appearances

Source: Comicbook.com

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