The Scarlet Witch Makes a Shocking MCU Comeback All Thanks To the TVA

Warning: Contains potential spoilers for TVA #5!The Scarlet Witchof the MCU has been missing in action since the end of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but it seems that version of the character is now making a surprising return in the comics, by going up against the TVA. The TVA limited series brought many characters from Loki’s MCU series to the page, and now ushers in Wanda Maximoff to shake up Marvel’s multiverse.

Marvel’s solicitation for TVA #5 - written by Katharyn Blair, with art by Pere Pérez - sees the Time Variance Authority’s team of heroes finally face The Madness, the mysterious villain that’s been haunting the series’ five-issue run. Pérez’s cover reveals Scarlet Witch in her MCU-style costume, teasing her as potentially the true antagonist of the series.

TVA #5 (2025)
TVA #5 Cover by Pere Pérez - Scarlet Witch glows with power over collage of the TVA’s team of heroes
Release Date:	April 30, 2025
Writer:	Katharyn Blair
Artist:	Pere Pérez
Cover Artist:	Pere Pérez
A TIME TO FIGHT! The R&D Team is circling in on the cause of the Madness and its connection to the TVA’s not-so-nonexistent Department of Deferment. But as they dig deeper into the TVA’s secrets, they’ll find that some dangers should never be uncovered.

Though there’s still a chance for this cover to be a fake-out, it actually makes sense for the TVA’s multiversal villain to be revealed as the MCU’s version of Wanda, especially considering her last official appearance as the fearsome villain in the Doctor Strange sequel.

Marvel Teases the Resurrection of the MCU’s Wanda Maximoff as the TVA’s Big Villain

TVA #5 - Written by Katharyn Blair; Art & Cover by Pere Pérez

The Scarlet Witch of the MCU has been off the board since her supposed death at the end of Multiverse of Madness, but Marvel Comics may have found the perfect way to bring her back into the fold. Trading the Illuminati for the TVA’s group of heroes, this version of Wanda returning could inflict some major damage on Marvel’s entire multiverse. It’s not confirmed that this iteration of the character would actually be the exact version played by Elizabeth Olsen in Marvel’s movies and TV, but the unique Scarlet Witch costume on the cover is identical to her last appearance.

In the TVA series thus far, a ragtag group of multiverse-displaced heroes have been recruited by the organization to stop The Madness, an unknown entity that has been manifesting people’s worst fears and turning them violently against them across dozens of timelines. Although this isn’t the usual M.O. of the various comic variants of Wanda, the mysterious power is somewhat similar to tricks that the MCU’s Scarlet Witch has used. If that version of Wanda has been resurrected from the MCU and has started to plague Marvel’s multiverse in the comics, the TVA’s heroes will be in serious danger.

Ghost-Spider, Gambit, and More Face A Deadly Threat That’s Already Wiped Out Major Heroes

Peggy Carter Also Gets a Rematch Against The Scarlet Witch

TVA #3 Cover by Pere Pérez with Team TVA and the Illuminati in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

One of the most memorable scenes from the MCU Scarlet Witch’s last outing was her swiftly killing various members of the alternate universe Illuminati in a truly impressive display of raw power. If they’re really about to enter a battle with this Wanda, the TVA series’ team of heroes face a similar fate to those fallen characters. Along with the various employees that make up the TVA, Gwen Stacy’s Ghost-Spider, a variant of Gambit, Wolverine’s son Jimmy Hudson, and Peggy Carter’s Captain Britain flesh out the team that will go up against the villain that has already slain multiple superheroes.

That version of Scarlet Witch has already killed a Peggy Carter variant in the film, in her superhero identity as Captain Carter, so it should be interesting to see how TVA’s Captain Britain fares in a new fight with the powerful witch. Since Multiverse of Madness’ Wanda was able to obliterate a few of Marvel’s major heavy-hitters, like versions of Captain Marvel, Black Bolt, Professor X, and Reed Richards, the odds are certainly stacked against the comic team as they face this dominant threat. However, with the limitless potential of the TVA, the multiverse-assembled team could still stand a chance.

Scarlet Witch as The Madness is a Shocking Twist - But Shouldn’t Come as Too Much of a Surprise

The MCU to Comics Synergy is Strong in “TVA”

MCU Scarlet Witch over TVA #1 cover art by Pere Pérez

While the MCU version of Scarlet Witch potentially crossing over to the comics would be a surprising comeback, that kind of synergy from the film and TV universe to the comics has been present throughout the TVA limited series. Acting as a comic version of Loki season 3, the series has brought the cast of characters from the Disney+ series together with various comics heroes. Since there have even been references to Deadpool & Wolverine, it almost should have been obvious that The Madness villain is a reference to the title of the Doctor Strange sequel where Wanda terrorized the multiverse.

It’s possible that the version of Wanda featured on Pérez’s TVA cover isn’t actually the real Scarlet Witch from the MCU, and could be another trick from the mysterious villain or perhaps an identical variant from another corner of Marvel’s multiverse. But the very similar costume and her potential new identity as The Madness certainly point to this version of Wanda dealing with the fallout of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness in the pages of Marvel Comics. If this truly is the unexpected comeback of the MCU’s Scarlet Witch, the TVA could be the next thing she destroys.

TVA #5 will be available April 30, 2025 from Marvel Comics.