Loki Got 2 Redemption Arcs, So Why Did Scarlet Witch Have To Die A Villain?

Summary

Loki's redemption arc in the MCU is thorough, but it highlights Scarlet Witch's lack of redemption.
Loki, despite his past actions, is given a chance to be a "good guy" and redeem himself, unlike other villains.
Loki's popularity and sympathetic persona contribute to his extensive redemption, making him one of the MCU's beloved characters.

As one of the MCU's most popular antiheroes, Loki has enjoyed a pretty thorough redemption arc - but it's one that deepens an insult to Scarlet Witch. As season 2 of Loki gets underway, it looks as if Loki will be one of the foremost combatants against the Multiverse Saga's big-bad, Kang, ing up with the TVA and other heroes to help put a stop to his designs. This is the same Loki, of course, that readily caused death and destruction in the pursuit of his own selfish designs not long before the adventures with the TVA took place.

Wanda Maximoff, meanwhile, underwent a reverse transformation that resulted in her last outing ostensibly ending in her death. Though Scarlet Witch likely survived, the question now hangs over how, if at all, Wanda will clear her name and return to being one of the good guys. One thing that does seem certain, however, is that her redemption won't be as thorough as Loki's.

Loki's Villain Timeline Makes MCU's Failed Villain Redemptions Look Worse

scarlet witch death in doctor strange in the multiverse of madness

As the first arch villain confronted by the Avengers, Loki was a pretty nefarious character. Even in the movie that saw this confrontation, The Avengers, Loki was responsible for inflicting one of the most gruesome MCU deaths on an innocent civilian - and that's not to mention the countless other deaths his actions brought about. It is easy to forget, however, that this is the very Loki now enjoying his time as a "good guy" in his shenanigans with the TVA. Other MCU characters that saw themselves become the villain like Scarlet Witch have not been afforded such an opportunity.

This is quite insulting to Scarlet Witch, whose own villainous arc in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was born of largely sympathetic circumstances. As one of the main protectors of earth and saviors of countless lives, a redemptive arc to rectify her comparatively fleeting time as a villain (who also caused far less overall destruction) seems only fair, but also unlikely. Even if Wanda appears in a future MCU movie, she certainly won't receive as much of a redemptive arc as Loki, who has actually been redeemed twice over.

Why Loki Got 2 Successful Villain Redemption Stories (When Many Villains Get None)

As the time-tangled confusion of Loki continues, it's easy to forget that the eponymous star of the show is actually a variant who avoided a grisly death at the hands of Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War. Even that original Loki, however, met his end after a pretty substantial redemptive arc that saw him reconcile with his brother and retake his place as one of Asgard's respected leaders, and one of the MCU's most popular characters. This is partially what made it one of the more harrowing MCU deaths.

There is a pretty good reason for Loki's exhaustive exoneration, however, with the most obvious being his rampant popularity. Partly thanks to Tom Hiddleston's exceptional portrayal and partly thanks to Loki's nuanced and sympathetic persona, Loki is one of the MCU's most beloved characters. It also tracks with his origins, as Loki in the comics is very much an antihero who has also enjoyed numerous shots at redemption. The fact of the matter is that Loki, for all his sins, is very capable of making everyone turn a blind eye - something that his exploits in the second season of Loki will no doubt help to cement.