Wanda’s Trauma Brings Back Ultron:
Nothing seems to be true in WandaVision. Vision was clearly killed in Avengers: Infinity War by Thanos when he procured the Mind Stone. Vision did not resurrect in Avengers: Endgame after Hulk’s snap, and it was confirmed that it is settled – Vision is gone. But now in WandaVision, he is back. So yes, Wanda is clearly messing with the realities, but still, the mechanics of how it actually works is still unclear. However, he may not be the only Marvel character that Scarlet Witch brings back, even if he is the only one she does so intentionally.
There are theories that Wanda would bring back Quicksilver (now played by Evan Peters), but Ultron coming in WandaVision will be the biggest plot twist ever. There is no need for us to emphasize the role of Ultron in Scarlet Witch’s past if you remember seeing Avengers: Age of Ultron. Ultron is also responsible for Scarlet’s one of the deepest losses – her brother. WandaVision has already started to show the cracks appearing, with things glitching and going wrong in this new reality, showing moments outside of Wanda’s control. Most of these appear to be linked to Scarlet Witch’s trauma, with the biggest clue being the fake commercials that play in WandaVision.
So far, there have been nods to Stark Industries, which calls back to the bomb that killed her parents; Baron von Strucker, who ran the experiments that gave (or unlocked) Wanda and Pietro’s abilities, and HYDRA, the organization they were experimented on by and far. These moments are presented differently to the viewer to the regular show since they’re designed as ad-breaks, but they suggest something beyond Scarlet Witch’s control breaking into her show. Since Westview is designed to be the happy ever after Wanda and Vision, then it’s likely the cracks are really her deep-rooted trauma that is increasingly starting to show.
This could tell us why, in WandaVision episode 3, Vision has newfound super speed. The power is more associated with Quicksilver, and it suggests that Wanda has unwittingly brought through elements of his character into this reality, or even that she tried and failed to bring him back as well. Either way, as WandaVision progresses, it seems likely that more aspects of the real trauma Wanda has will continue to bleed into Westview, alongside the attempts from S.W.O.R.D. to break into it.
The mention of Ultron came from Geraldine, as she attempted to get through to Wanda, seemingly trying to penetrate the fake reality to see if there were any true memories lingering within, and hoping that going for one of the most emotive topics would do just that. Unfortunately for Geraldine, the impact was far from positive, as referencing how Ultron killed Quicksilver only served to push Wanda over the edge. She then displays her powers and banishes Geraldine from Westview, forcing her through an energy field of some sort and back out into the real world.
Just after hearing Ultron and Pietro’s name, Wanda broke down severely was enough for her to send her into a terrifying rage that allowed her to expel Geraldine, and given that’s just episode 3, things will likely ratchet up a few more notches yet. Because Wanda is being forced to now confront her memories of Quicksilver, when it was before unclear exactly what she knew and remembered, then it may mean she tries to bring him back, or at least that more parts from that specific bit of backstory start flooding in – which is what could lead to Ultron’s return. If she does bring Quicksilver back, then because Ultron is so tied to him as the cause of his death, then he may return to in some way as a counterbalance to it, with Wanda not fully able to control exactly how things work or return.
If Ultron were to return then, in the short term, he’d serve as another terror for Scarlet Witch to be haunted by in WandaVision. He wouldn’t necessarily have to be a major threat, because he could be another resident, with Scarlet Witch knowing something is wrong but the show playing around with it like it has the other characters, rather than a more straightforward villain turn in exactly the same way he was in Avengers: Age of Ultron.
In reality, Geraldine is Monica Rambeau, who was seemingly transformed when she was sucked into Westview, much like the beekeeper and toy helicopter. However, when she was banished by Scarlet Witch, she remained in her Westview clothes, which could suggest that what happens in Wanda’s fake reality does have some impact on the real world, which would further explain just why S.W.O.R.D. is getting involved anyway. So if that were the case and Ultron does return, then it’s possible he could, like Vision, live on for a bigger return elsewhere in Marvel Phase 4 or beyond.
So all we can do is, wait and see, in what direction WandaVision goes now. More or less, it is going to be really exciting. WandaVision is now streaming on Disney+.
