Phase 3 of Marvel’s Cinematic Universe is only two months from bursting onto the silver screen with Captain America: Civil War. Adapting the epic Civil War story arc is no easy task, but one the directorial duo of the Russo Brothers should be able to handle thanks to their first venture into the MCU in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. And recent images revealed some amazing behind-the-scenes shots from the production, including stills of Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Captain America (Chris Evans), and the now-divided Avengers in action.
Speaking of characters, many fans hope Civil War will sprinkle a little more character development into the mix – something Avengers: Age of Ultron was criticized for lacking. One of the characters many fans hope will have a more substantial role in Civil War is Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen). And Wanda Maximoff devotees looking for an updated glimpse at the MCU’s “wild card” are in luck.
Today, Marvel revealed several pieces of Civil War art featuring Scarlet Witch (via CBM), highlighting Scarlet Witch’s costume in the upcoming film. The images show Olsen’s character in her appropriately scarlet and black flowing attire, floating above the city, ready to unleash her incredible abilities – ones which were still taking shape as of Age of Ultron. Take a look at Scarlet Witch in action:
Wanda’s developing confidence and incredible reality-bending powers truly make her a character to watch, both in Civil War and the upcoming Infinity Wars. Although she didn’t enter into the MCU until The Winter Soldier’s mid-credits scene, Wanda Maximoff played a major part in the Avengers’ comic book world. Several story arcs even have her altering the Marvel Universe at its core, such as in Avengers Disassembled, where a delusional and grief-riddled Scarlet Witch first tears apart the Avengers, before creating a world ruled by mutants in The House of M.
Although it’s uncertain how much of her comic book storylines will translate into the upcoming films, Scarlet Witch could definitely make a major difference in Civil War. Initial trailers and images clearly show Maximoff siding with Captain America in the conflict, but much like Spider-Man – who has a defined relationship to one of the characters – her allegiances could shift during the film. And the Russos already revealed that Cap 3 will be much more “aggressive” than even Winter Soldier. It’s conceivable, if unlikely, that as she discovers herself and the full scope of her abilities, Maximoff could find the costs of the Civil War too devastating, altering it with her emerging powers.
Whether or not this is the case, Scarlet Witch’s world-rending abilities could easily manifest and make things very challenging for one or both teams. It wouldn’t be the first time that, at least in her sequential art iteration, she’s helped bring about major changes to the Marvel world – something long rumored to be at the heart of Civil War’s final act.
Captain America: Civil War will release on May 6, 2016, followed by Doctor Strange – November 4, 2016;Guardians of the Galaxy 2 – May 5, 2017; Spider-Man – July 7, 2017; Thor: Ragnarok – November 3, 2017; Black Panther – February 16, 2018; The Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 – May 4, 2018; Ant-Man and the Wasp – July 6, 2018; Captain Marvel – March 8, 2019; The Avengers: Infinity War Part 2 – May 3, 2019; Inhumans – July 12, 2019; and as-yet untitled Marvel movies on May 1, July 10 and November 6, 2020.
Source: Marvel, CBM