Marvel just erased one of the MCU’s most contentious sequels from canon, so everybody say thank you

Joe Locke’s casting as Wiccan in Agatha All Along has sparked a lot of discussion, especially given the character’s connections to Wanda Maximoff and the complex narrative surrounding the Maximoff twins. The reveal of Locke’s character as Billy Maximoff, the son of Wanda and Vision, raises intriguing questions about how his storyline will unfold, particularly considering the events of WandaVision and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

The Return of Billy Maximoff

The ending of WandaVision left many fans emotional as Wanda’s twin sons were erased when the hex came down. However, Locke’s portrayal of Billy seems to bring him back into the fold, albeit with some potentially convoluted implications. The mid-season trailer hints at a backstory involving a car crash in Eastview when the hex collapsed, which might suggest a merging of identities between Billy Kaplan (a character from the comics) and Billy Maximoff.

This theory posits that Kaplan could have died in the crash, but Maximoff’s essence survived and took residence in Kaplan’s body. This would explain how Billy can exist despite the twins’ original demise, while also maintaining some continuity with their tragic story.

Impact on Wanda’s Arc

The potential merging of these two characters raises significant questions about Wanda’s narrative arc, particularly in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (MOM). If Wiccan has been living as Billy Kaplan all this time, why wouldn’t Wanda have sensed him in the Sacred Timeline? This inconsistency seems to undermine her motivations in MOM, where she sought out alternate versions of her sons across the multiverse.

It’s a twist that could be seen as a sweet redemption for Wanda’s fans who were disappointed by the way she was portrayed in MOM, which seemed at odds with the emotional resolution of WandaVision. Instead of needing to traverse realities to find her sons, she could have simply reached out to the boy living nearby.

Revisiting Abandoned Threads

This new development also appears to revisit unresolved threads from WandaVision, particularly the post-credits scene where Wanda hears her twins’ voices while reading the Darkhold. This moment hinted at their existence in some form, which was largely disregarded in MOM. Now, Agatha All Along seems poised to reconnect those dots, potentially negating some of the major plot points established in the film.

A Marvel Canon Conundrum

As the MCU continues to evolve, inconsistencies in its canon are becoming more apparent. With films like Deadpool & Wolverine also playing fast and loose with timelines and continuity, fans are left wondering if there’s any cohesive structure to the MCU beyond their own theories and interpretations. It raises the amusing notion: are we, the fans, functioning like the Time Variance Authority (TVA) in trying to maintain some order in this sprawling narrative?

Joe Locke’s role as Billy Maximoff opens up exciting possibilities for the character and the larger narrative surrounding Wanda and her family. However, it also presents challenges to the established canon, particularly in how it relates to Wanda’s journey through grief and loss. As fans, we can only speculate on how these threads will weave together in future MCU projects, hoping for a satisfying resolution that honors the complexity of these characters.