WandaVision concluded this Friday with an epic battle between Agatha Harkness vs Scarlet Witch. Their battle was interesting and a stepping stone for Wanda’s future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Wanda Maximoff has been officially introduced in the MCU as the Scarlet Witch. Agatha Harkness finally revealed the Darkhold (a.k.a. the Book of the Damned). On top of that, the second post-credit scene showed Wanda being Scarlet Witch and reading the Darkhold in the astral plane.
The Darkhold is described by Agatha as the “Book of the Damned” and its principal author was Chthon. He is an Elder God. As in, one of the first beings to rule Earth) and the Earth’s first practitioner of black magic. In the comics, Chthon was key in Wanda getting her powers. In one storyline, Wanda was born at Mount Wundagore. It is a place where the fabric of reality is very thin and which allowed Chthon to imbue baby Wanda with his own mystic power. That is why she’s the one sorceress to wield Chaos Magic.
The Darkhold has been used to create a bunch of supernatural and dangerous creatures, such as vampires. However, the true purpose of the book is to grant Chthon a place on Earth. Hence, the inclusion of the book in WandaVision could be setting up his arrival, most likely in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. WandaVision will directly lead into Doctor Strange 2.
There was a lot of speculation over how the show could set up the big villain in Strange’s next adventure. While there were some big candidates like Nightmare and even Dormamu, the safest bet right now is Chthon. That is not a good deal honestly. Chthon is a massive presence, with a long and rich history. He’s a bigger threat than Thanos.
Chthon rarely appears in person in the comics. His presence is mostly represented through his powers, such as demonic possession. He’s such a big threat that the Avengers do everything in their power to avoid his escape. WandaVision just subtly teased his presence in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Having Chthon as the villain in Doctor Strange 2 would risk sending the MCU on a path it has been avoiding for years, which is one where its characters (both good and bad) are too hard to believe.
Chthon bestowed these powers onto Wanda himself in the comics. It’s possible that the MCU Darkhold won’t have the same backstory. It may be that Chthon won’t be brought into the fold. But it seems more likely that Wanda will discover more about the ancient origins of witchcraft and the Elder Gods as she dives deeper into the nature of her abilities.
If Doctor Strange 2 is really going to use Chthon as its villain, the MCU would be taking a huge risk. There’s a lot of history to tell and adapt. Even if he’s an exciting villain that promises to bring a lot of conflict to this universe, he is a much stronger foe. Chthon has the ability to force the Avengers to reassemble. Are you excited for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness? Let us know in the comments below!
