Originally posted June 29, 2021
If you aren't familiar with the character and haven't already read Part 1, I recommend reading that first :)
PART 2
A Perspective on Wanda Maximoff as an Avenger - Before The Events of ‘WandaVision’
Wanda is unlike the other Avengers. Her powers are strong, unpredictable, and unfamiliar, making her untrainable and prone to mistakes. As she navigates her abilities on her own, Wanda must make peace with the knowledge that she is limited by her own lack of understanding and the absence of a mentor. Until Agatha introduces the concept of learned witchcraft in WandaVision, she is entirely on her own.
Yet like her brother, she steps forward with courage and conviction, and unlike her brother, she knows that the limitations of her control over her powers bear great risks. She learns to accept that her heroism will often come with moments the world will be unwilling to overlook, because the cost of doing nothing is far greater than the risk that comes with being a hero.
Wanda is used to the loneliness that comes with her powers, but she was never alone. Pietro saw the best in her - the human, the kindness, the love - that preceded her powers. He saw the little girl who hid with him below the small table for days, inches away from their parents bodies, waiting in fear for Stark’s missile to explode in their demolished living room. He simply saw his sister.
After Pietro’s passing, she found a family in the Avengers and took solace from her grief in a new friendship with Vision. Vision couldn’t feel grief, but he sought to understand and support Wanda through her pain. While the world feared her, Vision saw a kind young woman who treated him with humanity. And in a way, he could empathize with her. Vision was also feared, and the two were spoken of as dangerous weapons of mass destruction. Dehumanized by the people they committed to protect, Wanda and Vision were often the main topics of discussion in rooms where legislators wanted to control these powerful forces.
Having fallen in love with Vision, Wanda was asked to do the impossible in the Infinity War to defeat Thanos. We see immense heartbreak in her eyes as she comes to terms with what she must do. Tony Stark, Natasha Romanoff, and Vision give their own lives to save the world. Wanda carries the only power capable of instantly destroying the Mind Stone, but it is a curse. It would require taking a life that isn’t her own - that of the one she loves.
While Vision’s encouragement pushes her to ultimately destroy the stone at the last minute, she is left helpless when Thanos uses the Time Stone to undo what she had done, making that moment of pain feel meaningless. As she is dusted away in the blip, her face seems almost accepting of this fate. As if she is embracing death as a release from her pain.
I’m shocked to hear Wanda-critics condemn her for not destroying the stone sooner. As few as there are who think this way, it is worrisome to see such little empathy. These fans think of war as a game, inconsiderate of the losses taken by heroes for the world to win. I wonder if they see real wars in the same way.
Wanda and Vision made the ultimate sacrifice. A parallel to Barton and Romanoff, except in many ways worse. Whereas Barton was forced to let go, Wanda was forced to keep pushing until the deed was done.
For this reason, among many others, we feel for her. And beyond observing Elizabeth Olsen’s exquisite expressions, we cannot come close to imagining what her character is going through.
While every other Avenger can choose to step up, Wanda is forced to be a hero. And the worst part is that the world sees her as a villain instead.
I don’t blame her for just wanting to be a normal young woman living in a completely ordinary world. This is what results in the chaos we see ensue post-‘Endgame.’ Continue onto Part 3 for ‘A Perspective on Wanda Post-WandaVision’.’
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