TV & Movies

Wait, Did Wanda Die In Doctor Strange And The Multiverse Of Madness?

Screenwriter Michael Waldron has weighed in on the character’s fate.

'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' (2022). Photo courtesy of Netflix.
WALT DISNEY STUDIOS

Warning: Major spoilers for Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness follow.

Those who’ve seen Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness most likely left the theater with an important question: Is Wanda Maximoff (aka Scarlet Witch) dead?

In the new film, Wanda Maximoff (played by Elizabeth Olsen) goes rogue trying to find her children, Billy and Tommy, whom she created — and lost — in WandaVision. Using witchcraft found in a dangerous book called the Darkhold, she learns that in other universes, her alternate selves have real children — unlike the two boys she made out of magic. But to travel to another universe and find them, she’ll have to harness the powers of America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez), and kill her in the process. Naturally, Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) does all he can to prevent this.

Long story short, Wanda almost succeeds. But when she finally meets Billy and Tommy in another universe, they’re visibly terrified of what she’s become. Wanda has a change of heart and decides to destroy the Darkhold. She even appears to sacrifice herself in the process: A plume of red smoke, rising from a crumbling temple, seems to signify her demise.

Or does it? Below, what fans have learned about Wanda’s fate.

The Screenwriter Says The Ending Is “Up For Interpretation”

In an interview with Variety, Multiverse of Madness screenwriter Michael Waldron refused to clarify if Wanda died, saying it was “up for interpretation.” Check out the full quote below:

“I think that’s up for interpretation. She made some kind of sacrificial act that destroyed the Darkhold in every universe, which is protecting Wanda in every universe from being seduced by the Darkhold. Whether she’s dead or not remains to be seen. I know what it’s like to love characters and to not want them to be gone and to hate when they do bad things. But that’s part of the fun of watching stuff and getting swept up in it.”

Even Elizabeth Olsen Is Unsure Of Wanda’s Fate

In a different interview with Variety, Olsen revealed that she’s as in the dark as anyone. “It’s weird that I’m expecting to return but no one’s told me I’m doing anything! But in my mind, I’m just making the assumption that they’ll have me again. I don’t know to what capacity, but I hope I’m back,” she said. “I hope there’s also more fun to be had in something different.”

Collider asked Olsen if she’d signed a contract extension with Marvel, and she seemed to imply that she had — or at least, that she’d be open to it. “I sign extensions every time they want me to do a movie. I just signed a very short one at the beginning, so everything's constantly just, it's always adjusting for me,” she said, adding, “I don't think of this either as the end.”