Wanda Maximoff, aka the Scarlet Witch, has been a point of significant controversy between MCU fans and Marvel Comics purists, given how she’s been portrayed in live-action. But now, with her new role as Sorcerer Supreme in the comics, the MCU has a chance to fix her character.
In an unlettered preview shared by Marvel for Sorcerer Supreme #1 by Steve Orlando and Bernard Chang, readers are given a glimpse of Scarlet Witch in her new role as Marvel Comics’ official Sorcerer Supreme.
In an interview with Marvel, writer Steve Orlando explains how Wanda’s new Sorcerer Supreme title is indicative of her wider story arc in Marvel canon, and how this latest chapter is yet another opportunity for Wanda to change and grow.
Steve Orlando: Wanda’s journey has always been one of discovery and self-actualization. But that doesn’t mean she’s always right, and it doesn’t mean everything is easy for her — even when it seems like it might be. For a long time, she’s been practicing magic and ignoring the costs, thinking her mastery of possibility protects her. But for even the greatest of cosmic forces, the bill always comes due.
Sorcerer Supreme #1 by Marvel Comics is available December 31, 2025.
One of the biggest gripes fans had about Scarlet Witch’s MCU depiction (specifically in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness) is that she was portrayed as a villain. For the majority of her Marvel Comics career, Scarlet Witch has been a hero, not the villain she was portrayed as.
Scarlet Witch has committed some villainous acts in Marvel Comics, including her membership in the Brotherhood of Mutants and her actions on the infamous M-Day. However, she’s also had time to redeem herself in the comics while also spending the majority of her time as a hero.
The MCU totally ignored all that and decided to conclude her character arc in a villainous light, betraying everything Scarlet Witch was in the comics. That being said, it’s not too late for the MCU to fix Wanda’s character.
This isn’t to say that the MCU should necessarily make Scarlet Witch its new Sorcerer Supreme. Still, it should follow the trajectory of her Marvel Comics character, which is one of discovery and self-actualization, as Steve Orlando described.
Scarlet Witch in the MCU is the Opposite of Her Marvel Comics Counterpart
While Marvel Comics has laid the groundwork for how the MCU can fix Scarlet Witch’s character, it seems the MCU is doing the opposite. Not only was Wanda a villain in Multiverse of Madness (and at least partly evil in WandaVision), she was also the main antagonist in Marvel Zombies.
With every new appearance in the MCU, Scarlet Witch is depicted as more villainous than the last. However, with the upcoming release of Sorcerer Supreme #1, the MCU has the chance to pull from Marvel Comics’ proverbial playbook and finally fix Scarlet Witch.
- First Appearance
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The X-Men (1963)
- Died
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Doctor Strange in The Multiverse of Madness
- Alias
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Wanda Frank
- RELATIONSHIPS
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Vision (Lover), Quicksilver (Brother)
