‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Is Hiding the Scarlet Witch’s Return in Plain Sight

Published Jul 24, 2026, 6:48 PM EDT Hannah has been writing about horror, sci-fi, and all things nerdy since 2021. At Collider, she covers news and conducts interviews, along with contributing features that dive deep into genre storytelling and why it works. If there’s something lurking in the shadows, she’s probably already writing about it if she's not too busy watching a tape from her VHS collection. Marvel Studios has made one thing abundantly clear during San Diego Comic-Con: they want fans talking about the mysterious "Latverian Witch." What began as a single costume display has evolved into one of the convention's biggest puzzles, with the studio swapping the character's appearance every day. Wednesday's witch wore green. Thursday's traded that look for orange. By Friday, Marvel had replaced her once again with purple. The daily costume changes have naturally sparked theories about whom the Latverian Witch could be. Some fans have suggested Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino), while others have pointed to Clea (Charlize Theron) or Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn). Others have pointed out that the colors, thus far, match up with the Infinity Stones. But those guesses may be overlooking the most important clue Marvel has given us: the name, not the color. After WandaVision and Agatha All Along, "witch" has become a very specific title in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Marvel could have called these characters sorcerers, mystics, or magic users. Instead, it chose a word that immediately evokes Wanda Maximoff and the mythology that has grown around her. If Avengers: Doomsday is introducing Doctor Doom's (Robert Downey Jr.) own coven of witches, then Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) may be the one member Marvel simply isn't ready to reveal. 'Agatha All Along' Established the MCU's Witches as Their Own Magical World Before Agatha All Along, it was easy to lump every magic user in the MCU together. Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), Wong (Benedict Wong), Agatha Harkness, and Wanda Maximoff all wielded supernatural powers, even if they practiced them differently. The Disney+ series changed that by establishing witches as their own distinct corner of Marvel's universe. Throughout the series, witchcraft is defined by covens, inherited power, ancient rituals, and generations of magical lineage. Agatha's coven includes witches like Jennifer Kale (Sasheer Zamata), Lilia Calderu (Patti LuPone), Alice Wu-Gulliver (Ali Ahn), and Rio Vidal (Aubrey Plaza), each with her own abilities but united by a shared magical tradition. Billy Maximoff's (Joe Locke) journey becomes intertwined with theirs, further cementing witchcraft as something separate from the Masters of the Mystic Arts. That's why some of the most popular theories surrounding the Latverian Witch feel slightly off. Sylvie has magical abilities, but the MCU has never described her as a witch. Clea is one of Marvel's most powerful practitioners of the mystic arts, yet she belongs to Doctor Strange's world of sorcerers rather than Agatha's world of covens. Marvel didn't label these costumes "Latverian Sorcerers." It specifically chose Latverian Witches, a title that feels intentionally connected to the mythology it spent two Disney+ series building. Doctor Doom Is Exactly the Kind of Villain Who Would Assemble a Coven The idea of Doctor Doom surrounding himself with witches isn't a stretch. In fact, it's deeply rooted in Marvel Comics. While Victor von Doom is best known as one of the world's greatest scientific minds, he's also one of Marvel's most accomplished sorcerers. His pursuit of magic has always been driven by deeply personal reasons, particularly his quest to free the soul of his mother, Cynthia von Doom, from Mephisto. Throughout the comics, Latveria has frequently blended advanced technology with ancient magic, making it the perfect setting for a powerful magical order. That context makes Marvel's Comic-Con display feel much more deliberate. Three different Latverian Witches appearing over three consecutive days doesn't look like alternate costumes for a single character. It looks like Marvel is introducing multiple members of a larger group without revealing exactly who they are or what role they'll play in Avengers: Doomsday. If Doom has assembled his own coven, the changing costumes suddenly make perfect sense. Rather than teasing one surprise, Marvel is slowly revealing pieces of a much larger puzzle. If Avengers: Doomsday really is introducing a coven of Latverian Witches, one character immediately comes to mind. Scarlet Witch remains the MCU's most powerful witch, yet her fate has been left intentionally ambiguous since Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Wanda appeared to sacrifice herself beneath Mount Wundagore after destroying every copy of the Darkhold, but Marvel Studios never actually confirmed she had died. That uncertainty has fueled years of speculation about when and where she will return. Introducing a coven without immediately revealing Wanda would be exactly the kind of misdirection Marvel has become famous for. The green, orange, and purple witches may all be important withces in Doom's orbit, but none are the Scarlet Witch herself... yet. There's no telling what the costume will be wearing on Saturday or Sunday. Of course, it's entirely possible the Latverian Witches are all brand-new characters created specifically for Avengers: Doomsday. Marvel hasn't confirmed a single identity, and the changing costumes could ultimately point in a completely different direction. Still, after spending three straight days so far drawing attention to witches instead of sorcerers, it's difficult to believe that the choice of wording is accidental. Either way, we likely won't know until Avengers: Doomsday premieres in theaters December 18. Release Date December 18, 2026 Runtime 165 Minutes Director Anthony Russo, Joe Russo Cast Sue Storm / Invisible Woman Joseph Quinn Johnny Storm / Human Torch Writers Stephen McFeely, Michael Waldron, Jack Kirby, Stan Lee Producers Anthony Russo, Joe Russo, Kevin Feige Prequel(s) Spider-Man: Brand New Day Sequel(s) Avengers: Secret Wars Franchise(s) Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers, Fantastic Four, Black Panther, Thor, X-Men