While the villainous turn taken by The Scarlet Witch in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has been met with mixed reactions from fans, comparisons to Game of Thrones’ Daenerys Targaryen are ludicrously unfair for several reasons. Blasting News claims “Wanda’s character arc features heavy shades of what happened to Daenerys Targaryen in ‘Game of Thrones.’” While there may be some similarities between the story arcs of the two megastars, there is quite a bit of disagreement amongst fans of both franchises as to how the character arcs were similar in some ways, but drastically different in others. The two leads share a lot of commonalities: They both go from protectors of the innocent to unhinged mass murderers. The major difference lies in the how and why each character got to that point.
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First and perhaps most importantly, it makes sense for Wanda, given the events of WandaVision, that she would resort to such drastic, horrific measures to find her children. The post-credits scene of the Disney+ series planted the seed for this change as we see Wanda studying the Darkhold. In Multiverse of Madness, per Screen Rant, Doctor Strange says that the Darkhold corrupts everyone and everything it touches — it is, after all, commonly known as the “Book of the Damned.” That notion is reiterated and exemplified multiple times throughout the film.
The MCU laid the groundwork for Wanda to become a villain, and aside from Thanos, she is one of the best villains we’ve seen in the MCU. The Darkhold has wholly and utterly corrupted Wanda. Elizabeth Olsen turns in a magnificent portrayal of an evil, bitter Scarlet Witch who is not only relatable, but many would argue that some of her actions are justified given her tragic story arc. Wanda’s story arc has been one of the best treats the MCU has given fans, and any comparison to the way the writers of Game of Thrones butchered Daenerys’ character, turning her from a benevolent conqueror to a sadistic tyrant, is unfair to make. Daenerys’ sudden 180-degree villainous turn comes out of nowhere and completely butchers the incredible character development that made the Khaleesi one of if not the most beloved characters on the epic HBO series. Again, there is no real comparison here. One is a victim of lazy writing; the other is a model for how to make a character both loved and feared by the audience.
Laying the Foundation & Subversion of Expectations
MCU
Wanda’s character in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness may appear a bit one-dimensional as she is proven to be the villain from the start. It is, however, important to understand that Wanda’s character has gone through several films and an entire television series worth of tragedy and sacrifice that lead her seemingly to the point of no return. Sam Raimi masterfully portrays the Scarlet Witch as a nearly perfect villain, providing the perfect balance of making her genuinely horrifying yet still relatable. Raimi’s vision for Wanda was inspired by classic horror films such as Carrie, The Ring, and others from that genre.
Daenerys Targaryen’s character arc in Game of Thrones is fantastic for the first seven seasons. Unfortunately, that arc is altered dramatically in the final season without any explanation other than poor pacing and writing decisions. This is, of course, not to trash the writers and editors of the series; Game of Thrones is one of the best television series ever made, with one of the worst endings in television history. The dramatic shift seen by the audience is totally perplexing and pretty much antithetical to everything that had come before it with regard to Daenerys and her blink-of-an-eye switch from the show’s beloved heroic conqueror to the show’s most evil and despised character. If that had been carefully laid out throughout the series, the shift would have been more justifiable. But it is clear now, after multiple years to reflect on Game of Thrones and its bizarre final season, that the show and many of its central characters were victims of a rushed script and a shortened season, with little to no growth for the characters audiences had grown to know and love over the previous seven seasons.
Motivations, Empathy & Redemption: A Mother’s Love vs. Fire & Fury
Disney/HBO
While there is no doubt Wanda commits horrible atrocities as the Scarlet Witch in her desperate quest to find her children, it is ultimately love that drives her to commit these acts. A mother’s connection to and love for her children is one of the most powerful things on Earth. Concern for one’s child can drive good people to do awful things, as we see throughout Multiverse of Madness as Wanda becomes more ruthless the more desperate she becomes.
In the case of Daenerys Targaryen, her motivations for the horrifying atrocities she commits in the penultimate episode of Game of Thrones are unclear, vague, and once again, the victim of a lack of a foundation for the drastic character change she undergoes. Within seconds, she goes from a hero to a dictator for “reasons.” As such, the two are not comparable primarily because of Wanda’s relatability. Her motivations and the scenes depicting Wanda with her kids tug at the heartstrings and remind us why she continues to commit horrific acts of cruelty throughout the film. Again, this does not justify Wanda’s action in any way. Still, it makes one empathize with her ever-present suffering, knowing she cannot be with her children. Perhaps even more devastating is knowing that there are universes in which she has her kids and is truly happy, like Earth-838. Desperate to steal that happiness from her variant, we see the Scarlet Witch use 838 Wanda as a puppet to do her gruesome bidding as she chases Strange and America Chavez through the Multiverse.
There is no question that Wanda is the villain of Multiverse of Madness. She is also (in part) the hero of the movie. It is Wanda from Earth-838 who can finally get through to the Scarlet Witch, promising her that her children will be loved. Finally, Wanda rejects the corruption of the Darkhold and is offered some redemption when she destroys the Darkhold Castle on Wundagore Mountain, causing the Darkhold to be destroyed, not just in that universe, but in every universe. Wanda not only rids herself of temptation, but ensures that no one will ever again be corrupted by the Darkhold’s power. While this happens at the end of the film, it does provide Wanda with a bit of redemption because, despite the horrific atrocities she commits, she does her best to make things right when it is all said and done.
Contrasted with Daenerys Targaryen’s arc in Game of Thrones, we see no redemption for Daenerys. She goes from a beloved conqueror to a ruthless dictator despised and feared by everyone who once loved and praised her. Her arc (and her life) ends with leaving audiences with little to no ability to empathize with her sociopathic behavior. Herein lies perhaps the most significant differences between the two characters. One sympathetic character undergoes a massive personality shift that occurs over a long period of time and makes sense for the character in relation to the overall story — this character realizes the tragic error of her ways and seeks redemption — while the other has a massive unexplained character shift that makes her unsympathetic and despised and provides zero redemption for arguably the most beloved character on the show as she “snaps” and murders all the innocents that she claimed she was fighting to protect.
