MCU Theory: WandaVision Is Quietly Setting Up The X-Men's First MCU Villains

WandaVision will introduce a new organization called SWORD - and they have the potential to become the X-Men's first villains in the MCU. The first two episodes of WandaVision are unlike anything in the MCU to date, introducing viewers to an alternate reality occupied by Scarlet Witch, Vision, and the residents of Westview. They're being monitored by a mysterious organization with a logo adapted from the comics - the insignia of SWORD.

In the comics, SWORD is an organization dedicated to protecting the Earth from extraterrestrial threats and handling matters of intergalactic diplomacy on behalf of the human race. But SWORD has been switched up in the MCU, with a WandaVision poster confirming they are now the "Sentient Weapon Observation Response Division." That means they are principally concerned with superhumans, and it makes sense that Scarlet Witch would be high up on their priority list for monitoring. She's one of the most powerful superhumans of all, and in Captain America: Civil War she was associated with a tragedy that led to the passage of the Sokovia Accords. What's more, something has now gone badly wrong with Wanda - although it's difficult to say exactly what at this stage.

Most viewers are assuming SWORD will be SHIELD's replacement in the MCU's Phase 4 and beyond, and they may well be right. But it's also possible they are being set up not as allies - but as antagonists.

SWORD View Superheroes As "Weapons"

WandaVision Scarlet Witch Vision Couple Watching SR

In the comics, SWORD was created by Joss Whedon in his tremendous Astonishing X-Men run. They were presented in a morally ambiguous light, with their leader - Commander Abigail Brand - willing to go to any lengths to protect the Earth. SWORD made SHIELD look like the Boy Scouts, with Brand literally cooperating with aliens who wanted to kill the X-Men in order to ensure Earth remained safe; there was no line she would not cross in order to pursue her own agenda. Although SWORD ultimately became allies of the X-Men - Brand herself wound up dating Beast, and acted as one of Cyclops' informants for a time - they still occupied a morally gray area.

The MCU's SWORD appear to have recruited a number of secondary characters from the MCU to date; WandaVision features Teyonah Parris as the adult Monica Rambeau (a child in Captain Marvel, which was set in 1995), as well as the return of Kat Dennings' Darcy Lewis from the Thor films and Randall Park's Jimmy Woo from Ant-Man & the Wasp. That naturally inclines MCU fans to see SWORD in a positive light, but that could well be deceptive. Because the very acronym driving SWORD suggests they do not view superhumans as people - but rather as "Sentient Weapons."

This is the same mindset displayed by General Ross in Captain America: Civil War, when he complained about Steve Rogers not knowing the precise whereabouts of Thor and the Hulk. "If I misplaced a couple of 30 megaton nukes," Ross fumed, "you can bet there'd be consequences." Viewed in this light, SWORD is the next evolution of the Sokovia Accords. Depending on the plot, then, stories could treat SWORD as either allies to a given superhero - or actually as antagonists, or even outright enemies attempting to police their actions.

How Would SWORD Respond To The Introduction Of Mutants?

All this naturally raises an intriguing question: How would SWORD react to the introduction of mutants into the MCU? Marvel regained the film rights to mutants when Disney acquired the bulk of Fox's film and TV empire, and it's only a matter of time before they appear in the MCU. The studio isn't yet ready to reveal exactly how that will happen; Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige recently said "discussions have been long and ongoing internally," meaning the X-Men reboot is still being planned out and may not happen anytime soon. Whatever happens, though, the addition of mutants will change the MCU forever. No longer will superhumans be numbered in the dozens; there could be millions of them.

SWORD view superhumans as weapons - and that attitude would undoubtedly color their views on mutants. They would want every mutant to be registered and carefully monitored, and they would take action whenever any mutant powers flared out of control. That would immediately position them as antagonists in any X-Men film, where various Mutant Registration Acts have rightly been seen as precursors to anti-mutant programs, and where attempts to police mutants have a dangerous history. It's not hard to imagine SWORD being the ones to develop power-neutralizing weapons, inhibitor collars - and even Sentinels.

This would make characters like Darcy, Jimmy Woo, and Monica Rambeau particularly interesting. Some of them could continue to serve as positive figures, perhaps quietly working to subvert SWORD's activities and help the X-Men. Others, however, could be shown to be sympathetic to SWORD's mission. After all, there is in fact good reason to be concerned about the idea of random human beings spontaneously developing superpowers. Shouldn't the authorities be worried that the teenage Scott Summers woke up one morning packing more power than a small nuke behind his eyes? What government wouldn't be worried that unscrupulous telepaths could steal state secrets just by walking past a senator? It would be interesting to see the case for mutant registration viewed in a semi-sympathetic light, although naturally, such a move would need to be handled with the greatest of care. The X-Men are, after all, a symbol of minority persecution, so Marvel would no doubt not want to make the anti-X-Men stance too persuasive.

Marvel's decision to change SWORD in the MCU - to make the organization one that focuses on superhumans rather than extraterrestrials - is a fascinating one. It means the MCU's version of SWORD will not parallel the group seen in the comics, but rather will play a very different role - albeit one that could well serve as equally antagonistic. The alteration perfectly positions SWORD to be the X-Men's first enemies in the MCU, an ironic decision given SWORD first appeared in X-Men comics. It's going to be fascinating to see how things play out post-WandaVision, and whether or not Marvel takes this approach.

More: WandaVision: Every MCU Easter Egg In Episodes 1 & 2