Wanda Maximoff

A Sokovian orphan who wields chaos magic to reshape reality in the wake of profound grief.

Wanda Maximoff, portrayed by Elizabeth Olsen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is a Sokovian orphan whose life was defined by war and loss. Born in 1989, she volunteered alongside her twin brother Pietro for Hydra's experiments with the Mind Stone, which awakened her latent chaos magic and psionic abilities. Initially driven to seek revenge against Tony Stark for his role in their parents' death, she defected from Ultron to join the Avengers after learning of his extinction plan. Her journey evolved through the loss of Pietro and Vision, leading to a mental breakdown where she trapped Westview in a false reality before embracing her identity as the Scarlet Witch.

Quick Facts

Franchise

Marvel Cinematic Universe

First

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Last

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)

Based on

Scarlet Witch
Stan Lee
Jack Kirby

Adapted by

Joss Whedon

Portrayed by

Elizabeth Olsen; Michaela Russell (young)

Voice

Elizabeth Olsen (What If...? season 2 and Marvel Zombies)

Species

Human/Witch

Lore & Background

Wanda's origin began in Sokovia, Eastern Europe, during a war where she and Pietro were trapped for two days under debris after their parents Oleg and Iryna were killed by a Stark Industries missile. Wanda unknowingly cast a probability hex that turned a second missile into a dud, cementing her hatred of the Stark logo. Years later, as young adults protesting in their city, they joined Baron Wolfgang von Strucker's Hydra program. Exposed to the Mind Stone, Wanda gained psychic abilities and a glimpse of herself as the Scarlet Witch. After defecting from Ultron in 2015 during the battle for Sokovia, where Pietro was killed by an Ultron drone while she abandoned her post, she became one of the Avengers' most powerful members. Her romantic relationship with Vision developed at the Compound following the Civil War events in 2016.

Reader's Guide

Wanda Maximoff has appeared in seven MCU films, starting with a mid-credits cameo in Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), and starred in the Disney+ series WandaVision (2021). Alternate versions appear in What If...? (2021-2023). Her powers include harnessing chaos magic, telekinesis, and psionic abilities, often triggered by emotional trauma. Key turning points include the 2015 Sokovia battle where she joined the Avengers, the 2016 Lagos incident where her containment of an explosion accidentally killed Wakandan workers leading to the Sokovia Accords, and the 2018 death of Vision.

Her performance by Elizabeth Olsen garnered nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award. The character's arc is defined by her transition from seeking revenge on Tony Stark to becoming a multiversal entity who ultimately sacrifices herself to protect others from the Darkhold's corruption.

Did You Know?

In Westview, Wanda created a false reality where she married Vision and bore twins named Billy and Tommy Maximoff.
Wanda defeated Stephen Strange and the Earth-838 Illuminati but ultimately sacrificed herself after being confronted by that reality's versions of her children.
Elizabeth Olsen's performance earned her nominations for both a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award.