Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness: Who Is The Character Attacking Wanda?

The latest trailer for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has fans going mad themselves, picking it apart for clues and cameos. One of the trailer's most talked about moments (other than a tease of what appears to be Patrick Stewart's Professor X, rumoured to be returning as part of a multiversal take on the Marvel Illuminati), is a brief clip of Wanda Maximoff, or a Wanda variant, under attack by a flying, glowing character.

Since the release of the trailer, there has been quite a lot of debate among fans as to who this character is. Let's look at some of the most likely options.

A Captain Marvel Variant

Ever since Wanda Maximoff and Carol Danvers, aka Captain Marvel, each battled and came close to defeating Thanos in Avengers: Endgame, there has been quite a lot of debate in the MCU fandom as to which of the two Avengers is more powerful. Some fans have noticed that the glow around the figure attacking Wanda appears to be a shade of yellow similar to Captain Marvel when she activates her full, 'Binary' powers, leading them to believe the question of which is more powerful could be answered in Multiverse of Madness.

However, while it is quite possible that Wanda is facing Captain Marvel, it does not necessarily mean she is battling Carol Danvers. We are dealing with the Multiverse, after all, making it very possible that Wanda is facing a variant from a world where someone else became Captain Marvel. One popular possibility with many fans is that Wanda is actually fighting Carol's best friend, Maria Rambeau. It is easy to imagine a What If..? style scenario where Maria was the one to embark on the test flight that originally ended in Carol getting her powers.

Another possibility proposed by fans is that the character attacking Wanda is Maria's daughter, Monica. The MCU's Monica has briefly taken on Wanda before in WandaVision, after passing through the Westview hex a second time altered her DNA, leaving her with energy manipulation abilities. In the comics, Monica receives similar powers in an accident, and for a time, takes up the mantle of Captain Marvel. Later, after a brief battle over the title, Monica gives up the mantle to Carol Danvers in recognition of her connection to the original Captain Marvel, Mar-Vell. In recent comics, she works under the codename Spectrum.

Even if she is not in Multiverse of Madness, it won't be too long before we see her onscreen again in the upcoming Captain Marvel sequel, The Marvels. However, if Maria appears as a Captain Marvel variant, it will be a somewhat bittersweet moment seeing her onscreen again, seeing as we know the Maria of the main timeline died of Cancer sometime in the five year time jump between Infinity War and Endgame.

Superior Iron Man

Other fans believe that the character attacking Wanda is an Iron Man variant. For a while now, rumours have swirled that an Iron Man variant could appear in Multiverse of Madness, likely as a member of the MCU's version of the Illuminati, and possibly played by Tom Cruise. These rumours have been enhanced by a shot of what appear to be Stark Tech, Ultron-like robots escorting a handcuffed strange. Currently, the prevalent theory is that we could see a take on Superior Iron Man. In the comics, Superior Iron Man is a villainous version of the character who emerges after a spell flips Tony Stark's morality during the 'AXIS' event.

Some fans theorise that the Scarlet Witch will attack the Illuminati HQ at some point in Multiverse of Madness, with possible reasons for this attack varying depending on which version of the character is doing the attacking. However, if Wanda or one of her variants does attack the Illuminati, it could explain Superior Iron Man, a possible member of the Illuminati, attacking the Wanda we see in the trailer.

Nova

A third option proposed by some fans is that the attacking character could be Nova, a beloved Marvel hero yet to appear in the MCU. In the comics, there are two major characters to have carried the Nova name. The first, Richard Rider, gains his powers after the dying Nova Corpsman Rhomann Dey crash lands on Earth after the destruction of Xandar, and gifts his helmet to Rider in the hope that the Corps will still have some kind of future. Sam Alexander becomes the second Nova after the disappearance of his father, Jesse. The often drunk Jesse claimed to be a former member of the Nova Corps, and after his disappearance, Rocket Raccoon and Gamora inform Sam that Jesse's claims were true, at which point Sam takes possession of his Father's Nova Corps helmet. Both Novas possess the powers of flight and super-human strength, while Sam gains the added ability of energy projection.

Like many other matters, there is some debate over which Nova should be used in the MCU. Rhomann Dey, played by John C. Reilly, appeared as a member of the Nova Corps in Guardians of the Galaxy, while the destruction of Xandar was referenced in Avengers: Infinity War, leading some fans to believe that Richard Rider's Nova may already exist in the MCU, ready to be introduced at a later date. However, others think that Sam Alexander is a better choice, given the character's friendship with Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel, set to be introduced to the MCU in her own series on Disney Plus later this year. In the comics, Sam and Kamala serve together as members of the Avengers, and later break away to form their own team, the Champions, after becoming disillusioned with the Avengers in the aftermath of the 'Civil War II' event. A theory currently growing steam suggests that the Champions and Young Avengers, teams both consisting of younger heroes in the comics, could be merged in the MCU.

However, whichever one of the two Novas eventually appears, it is unlikely to happen in Multiverse of Madness. at least not in the scene we are discussing. Unlike the previous two options on this list, Nova would not have an obvious reason to attack Wanda, and would probably not be a meaningful enough cameo for people who have not read the comics. Nova is more likely to make his debut in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3, or possibly a Disney Plus series.

We'll most likely have to wait until Multiverse of Madness is released in May to find out who exactly is attacking Wanda. Until then, check out the clip for yourself in the trailer below: