WandaVision is inching closer to its streaming release on Disney+, further expanding on the already massive Marvel Cinematic Universe, ushering in Phase 4. In this new phase, audiences will be introduced to a host of new characters and hero ensembles, one of which should definitely be the X-Men, and WandaVision is the perfect way for them to do so.
Wanda's character in the cinematic universe alone holds enough weight to be able to bring in the mutants, but upon observing her comic book storyline, her connection to them is even more apparent. In the MCU, the Scarlet Witch was born out of Baron Wolfgang von Strucker's Mind Stone experimentations, giving her psionic and telekinetic abilities. However, in the comics, her journey is a little different, and she's very involved with mutants and the X-Men. The House of M event in the comics highlights one of her key story arcs and could be perfect to intertwine into her solo venture.
The House of M event ran for eight issues in 2005. Written by Marvel legend Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Oliver Coipel, it followed up on the events of Avengers Disassembled, a massive crossover event. At the end of Avengers Disassembled, Wanda Maximoff had been left in a magical coma after Doctor Doom and Agatha Harkness used her to lash out at her former friends.
As House of M opens, a still-comatose Wanda has pushed Professor Xavier to his limits in his attempts to keep her power in check, and a new solution must be found. As the heroes struggle towards the conclusion that Wanda has become too powerful to be controlled and that her death may be the only solution, the world flashes to white. The story goes on to illustrate a familiar Marvel scenario: an alternate universe. Here, the House of Maximoff has taken power over the world, and though the new royal family seems content enough, there are signs that things aren't quite right. At the climax of the series is a moment that's become so famous in Marvel Comics lore that it's nearly mainstream -- a wounded, ferocious Wanda shapes her final command over reality: "No more mutants."
It's a moment that still resonates throughout the comic franchise today. It's a paradoxical opposite to the MCU, where due to licensing issues there were already no mutants. Agents of Shield got around the issue by playing up the influence of Kree genetic manipulation, resulting in the new generation of Inhumans. Wanda and Pietro Maximoff were also recognizable when first introduced, but their actual familial lineage was left shrouded. Yet with Disney's acquisition of Fox, one of the biggest fan questions from the start has been when and how will the X-Men return?
The simplest and most sensible solution is through Wanda Maximoff. The Disney+ series has already placed a sly reference to the House of M on a wine bottle in one of the most recent teases for WandaVision, and with the next Doctor Strange film already implying a multiverse, it seems obvious that the groundwork needed to bring the X-Men into MCU continuity is in progress.
With Wanda struggling with her own sense of identity, and with similar plot beats to the pain she suffered in comics already hinted at, WandaVision brings the perfect opportunity for the MCU to introduce the X-Men.
Written by Jac Schaeffer and directed by Matt Shakman, WandaVision stars Elizabeth Olsen as Scarlet Witch, Paul Bettany as Vision, Randall Park as Agent Jimmy Woo, Kat Dennings as Darcy Lewis, Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau and Kathryn Hahn as Agnes. The limited series debuts on Disney+ in December.