Vengeance so often motivates Marvel’s superheroes. But while Wanda finds solace first as a villain, it is love that redeems her
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) may be a CGI frenzy of action, excitement and witty one-liners, but underneath the glow of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes is a sad old bunch. Its latest series, WandaVision, is indicative of that: it focused on how Elizabeth Olsen’s Wanda Maximoff processed her grief after Avengers: Endgame. But the franchise has long been informed by stories founded in the loss of a place, a person or a time its superheroes hold dear.
In Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Steve Rogers mourns the 40s era from which he was ripped, as well as the people he left behind. In Black Panther, T’Challa grieves for his father as he steps up to lead Wakanda against a would-be usurper. Thor goes through Avengers: Infinity War carrying the pain of the destruction of his home world, Asgard, the killing of his brother, Loki, and the knowledge that every member of his family is dead. The entire plot of Avengers: Endgame, to bring back half of the universe, is motivated by survivor’s guilt and the anguish felt by those left behind.
