Jac Schaeffer, the lead screenwriter of Scarlet Witch and Vision has explained how the Quicksilver cameo supported the larger narrative of the MCU experiment, and says that he didn’t want anyone to feel that the lack of connection to the X-Men universe was a “gimmick.”
Schaeffer, who served as showrunner and executive producer on the series, recently sat down with IGN’s Joshua Yehl to address some of the twists and turns that were mapped throughout the production for Disney +. In particular, Schaeffer shared his thoughts on Quicksilver’s surprise appearance in Episode 5, explaining how the casting of Evan Peters “it felt really good” for the identity of the program.
“The idea was that we, [la co-productora ejecutiva] Mary Livanos and I in a room, we were thinking, ‘Oh my God, could we do that? Could we really do that? ‘ So the first question was literally, ‘legally, can we do that?’ “ Schaeffer revealed. “We didn’t want it to be just a trick and a joke because that’s not good so there were several things at stake.”.
“First, it was the ‘this is the meta show in the metaverse'”added Schaeffer, explaining the thought process behind the inclusion of the cameo by Pietro Maximoff, also known as Quicksilver. “It’s just meta, goal, goal, so it complemented the overall tone and aesthetic of the show in this way, so it felt really good and great for the identity of the show.”.
When Wanda opened the door to find her brother standing there, it was a huge turn for Scarlet Witch, who certainly never expected to see her dead brother alive again, but also a great turn for the audience because the actor who played him didn’t. It was the MCU’s Aaron Taylor-Johnson, but rather Evan Peters, who played the character in Fox’s X-Men universe, sparking theories about a crossover of the MCU with Fox’s existing X-Men movie universe.
However, the ending of Scarlet Witch and Vision revealed that “Pietro” was someone named Ralph Bohner, a Westview resident who was unlucky enough to be recruited into Wanda’s false reality. Regardless, Schaeffer told IGN that he didn’t want anyone to feel like they had been “pranked” because there were some very significant reasons behind the cast choice after all.
“I don’t want anyone to feel like they were being pranked. I don’t want anyone to feel cheated and of course I don’t want people to be disappointed by this.”he said, addressing fans who were interested in the idea of the cameo potentially becoming an X-Men connection. “I would like to redirect to what the show is really about, what is significant about the show and what resonates.”.
Schaeffer said the cameo was a way for the audience to enter Wanda’s mental space. She explained: “It was really about what was going on in Wanda’s head and the idea that someone might show up and not look like her brother and that she would accept it. What’s wrong with her in terms of her denial and self-doubt? . And her disorientation that Agatha could deceive her in this way? “.
“We wanted to feel that very viscerally and it seemed like an incredible opportunity for the audience to feel it as well with this meta-level of casting, with all his associations with Evan in this other space. Regarding the idea of doing it with any other actor, I I thought, ‘That is not going to work. That is not going to have the same excitement, craziness and questions, and it will be so disorienting.’ “.
Scarlet Witch and Vision director Matt Shakman also spoke to IGN about the team’s decision to bring Evan Peters to the MCU as a “fake Pietro.” He explained how the cameo tied thematically with the show’s narrative, particularly Wanda’s inability to cope with the overwhelming loss she has experienced throughout her life and her all-consuming pain.
“Our entire program is ultimately about how we deal with trauma, how we come to terms with loss.”, He said. “And sometimes we fool ourselves, and sometimes we accept to see things that we know are not there, because it gives us some comfort. She is willing to fall into the arms of Evan Peters, believing that he is Aaron Taylor-Johnson, because she needs it. and I think my heart goes out to her for that. “.
While Scarlet Witch and Vision aimed to offer a conclusion “satisfactory and also surprising” For the audience, Wanda’s character journey in the MCU is far from over. The character will return in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the Marvel movie that began filming in November with Sam Raimi at the helm. The plot of that movie is also said to be related to Spider-Man: No Way Home.
The sequel to Doctor Strange is scheduled to be released on March 25, 2022, but there is a lot of MCU to come sooner. From the series Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which opens on March 19, to the films of Black Widow, Loki, Shang-Chi, What If …?, The Eternals and the third Spider-Man film starring Tom Holland.
