“WandaVision” head writer Jac Schaeffer addresses the long standing rumor that Mephisto was behind the devilish deeds being carried out during the season…
Throughout the nine-episode season of “WandaVision,” fans were in a feeding frenzy looking for Easter eggs planted throughout the show while constantly theorizing about what was really happening or how the series would come to an end.
One of the biggest rumors throughout the season was that iconic Marvel Comics villain Mephisto was at the heart of the devilish deeds being carried out in Westview or at least he played some kind of role in Wanda’s decision to transform the New Jersey town into her own personal sitcom reality.
For those unaware — Mephisto is a villain that has been in the pages of Marvel Comics since 1953 and he’s been a thorn in the side of dozens of superheroes over the years. At the heart of it all, Mephisto is a trouble-seeking demon who rules over a fiery pocket dimension he calls Hell, although he has no actual relation to the devil described in Christian literature.
Mephisto has engaged in numerous storylines throughout Marvel history, including a role he played in the original “Infinity Gauntlet” series that served as a huge part of the basis for “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Avengers: Endgame.” One particular story involved parts of Mephisto’s soul being used to help Wanda Maximoff create her children, Tommy and Billy. When the demon retrieved those parts of his soul thus killing Tommy and Billy, it drove Wanda mad and she became an incredibly powerful villain.
Seeing those parallels with Tommy and Billy appearing in “WandaVision” makes Mephisto’s involvement seem possible but series writer and executive producer Jac Schaeffer recently explained why the infamous demon never appeared in the show much less did they ever have plans for him whatsoever in the series.
“We didn’t think this series needed a big bad,’ Schaeffer explained when speaking to Deadline. “I mean, the big bad is grief, you know, and that’s the story that we were telling, and then we got a bonus baddie in the form of Agatha Harkness who ended up facilitating Wanda’s therapy, so yeah, I think we feel pretty good about that.”
According to Schaeffer, the main part of the story at the heart of “WandaVision” was really about how Wanda faced the intense grief she suffered through after losing her parents as a child and then watching both her brother and the only other person she’s ever truly loved both being ripped away from her in tragic situations.
In dealing with that grief, Wanda sought refuge in the strange sitcom reality she created in Westview, which also resulted in her building a new family with Vision and their sons Tommy and Billy.
As for other characters who did appear in the series, Kathryn Hahn received rave reviews for her portrayal of Agatha Harkness — a several centuries old witch, who comes to Westview seeking to find out more about Wanda’s powers with hopes of stealing them away from her. In the end, however, Wanda gets the better of Agatha and ends up trapping her in the sitcom character she once portrayed but leaving her alive, which means she could reappear in the future.
“Well, as you can see in the episode, Wanda put Agnes/Agatha under a spell at the end,” Schaeffer explained. “That makes her live out the character she created. So, as far as I know Agnes is hanging out baking some cookies in Westview, and then beyond that, I can only speak to my own series.”
There were also overt hints at the series connection to Doctor Strange after Agatha mentioned the “Sorcerer Supreme” by name in the final episode not to mention it’s already been confirmed that Wanda’s next appearance will come in 2022 as part of the upcoming sequel “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.”
Unfortunately Benedict Cumberbatch never made a surprise appearance in “WandaVision” but he will definitely cross paths with the Scarlet Witch soon enough.
“I heart Doctor Strange just like anybody,” Schaeffer said. “Yeah, it’s one of those things, that’s how the chips fell, that’s how the cookie crumbled, is what I will say, but I look forward to seeing him on screen with Wanda in Doctor Strange 2.”
All nine episodes of “WandaVision” are currently available on Disney+ now.
