For a character who wasn’t supposed to have a formal costume, the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s version of the Scarlet Witch has gone through a surprising number of incarnations. Wanda Maximoff began as a civilian, and her early incarnations stuck close to non-superheroic attire. That has slowly changed as her character evolved along with the MCU itself however until she arrived at what looks to be a stellar take on her comic-book attire from the upcoming Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Here’s a quick examination of the Scarlet Witch’s five primary costumes in the MCU, ranked in order from most to least successful.
5. Scarlet Witch's Avengers: Age of Ultron Costume Was Practical But Lacking
Wanda remained largely in ordinary clothes during the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron as she took on Earth's Mightiest Heroes before joining them to take on Ultron. That included a short black dress, red jacket, knee-high black leggings, boots and accessories like rings and wristbands. However, while it was an effective “origin" outfit, invoking the character’s visual look without seeming outlandish or unrealistic, it was lacking the pizzazz of other characters' costumes.
4. From Civil War to Endgame, Wanda's New Look Is Lackluster
Wanda wore the same outfit in Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, and it consisted of a red trench coat and top along with black leggings and boats. The ensemble is a civilian cut -- stylish and practical, with the leather coat providing protection -- but is intended to evoke the character’s superheroic side as well. The balance works, neatly dividing Wanda’s early Goth look with the more overt costume she would later adopt. But it also struggles to make an impression against those later outfits, leaving it low-profile at best.
3. WandaVision Brings Back a Silver-Age Scarlet Witch
Superhero projects have evolved beyond the brightly colored spandex that informed the genre in its earlier days, but Marvel still finds ways to pay homage to those roots. That includes Wanda’s Halloween costume from WandaVision Season 1, Episode 6, “Halloween Spooktacular,” which eschewed practicality in favor of Silver-Age accuracy. It consists of a sleeveless red leotard, pink tights, red boots and opera gloves, a red cape with a tie around the neck and a horned headpiece framing her face, all of which deliberately look like she purchased them at a local department store.
2. WandaVision Finally Reveals the True Scarlet Witch
WandaVision Season 1, Episode 9, “The Series Finale,” found Wanda adopting a formal superhero costume for the Scarlet Witch for the first time. It’s a sleeker and more updated version of her classic look, with the leotard, cape and opera gloves being replaced by high-end fabrics with more distinctive patterns. Wanda's upper arms are also bare -- evoking the classic comics look for the character -- and the more elegant headpiece completes the look.
1. Multiverse of Madness Takes Wanda's Costume Down a Dark Path
The trailer for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness reveals Wanda’s new costume, which is an upgrade from her phenomenal costume at the end of WandaVision. Her arms are now covered, and the red of her top, gloves and headpiece is brighter than it was in the Disney+ series. The leggings appear to be a more pronounced red as well, and all of the clothing contains more elaborate patterns than ever seen before. Wanda also seems to have ditched the cape, though it remains to be seen whether she dons one in the film.
To see Wanda's newest costume, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness hits theaters May 6.