The relationship between the synthezoid known as The Vision and the magic-wielding Wanda Maximoff, also known as The Scarlet Witch, has been one that has evolved and changed on multiple occasions over the decades. From lovers to friends and back and forth, these Avengers’ fates have been closely linked in some linked in some form or fashion. Regardless of what form their relationship takes, it’s clear that even if the two are separated by time and space, it’s not long before their fates will collide once more.
With the 50th anniversary of their marriage in Marvel Comics, the House of Ideas is throwing their bond in the spotlight once more with the new miniseries The Vision and The Scarlet Witch, debuting this May. Written by Steve Orlando, who has guided Wanda’s stories to great and deserved acclaim the past few years, with art by Lorenzo Tammetta and Jacopo Camagni, The Vision and The Scarlet Witch finds The Vision mortally wounded, with The Scarlet Witch going to great lengths to save her longtime friend and lover.
I spoke with Steve Orlando recently about the conceit of The Vision and The Scarlet Witch, where we find the two at the beginning of the series, who the characters are at their core, and why their friendship and romance have captivated readers for the past 50 years.
Steve Orlando has been writing for The Scarlett Witch for the past several years and it was clear from the jump that he has a solid handle not only of who the character is, but her potential for growth and change. Between The Scarlet Witch and The Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver series, as a fan, it has been heartening and gripping to see where he takes Wanda Maximoff next. With The Vision and The Scarlet Witch, Orlando is sure to build on that character development and bring his unique vision (no pun intended) to this enduring duo.
The Vision and The Scarlet Witch #1 cover by Russell Dauterman
FreakSugar: Before we get into the series itself, you’ve been writing for Wanda for a while now and have a great grasp of the character. To you, at their core, who are Wanda and The Vision?
Steve Orlando: Thank you! It’s been great to be part of this historic run for Wanda, as well as enjoy the opportunity to celebrate milestones in her life and for her family. When she and her brother hit 60 years, we celebrated with The Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver! Now, as her wedding with Vision hits 50 years, we’re celebrating with The Vision and The Scarlet Witch.
And I think it’s just the right time, because Vision and Wanda are at a spot that’s pretty unique for the business—they’ve not who they were when they were married. They’ve grown, they’ve changed, and found a new, stronger, evolved relationship. These are two people who love each other deeply, they care, but have been burnt by romance before and are now experiencing something less tempestuous and more subtle. Wanda and Vision are there for each other, they’ve been through so much. They didn’t close the book on their unique relationship, even if they thought that for a long time. They just turned to the next chapter.
FS: Where do we find Wanda and The Vision at the beginning of the series?
SO: In crisis, where else? As we saw in The Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, Vision considers Wanda and Pietro part of his family. And he’s deeply invested in their continued safety. So, when strange doors begin popping up all over the world, calling people to death like Sirens over the rocks, Vision notices. These doors seem to mock Wanda’s own Last Door. And with how much Wanda has lost, Vision doesn’t want her to face it alone. He stands by Wanda, but it’s not Wanda that needs help. Very quickly, Vision becomes the target—he becomes the star of his own tragedy. Saving him and confronting the ancient evil behind the doors takes Vision and Wanda on a Lovecraftian thrill ride beyond the mortal plane—one they won’t be able to survive without each other…and even then, without sacrifice.
FS: You’re working with Lorenzo Tammetta and Jacopo Camagni again for this series. Do you all have a shorthand at this point? Their excitement for the project in the press release was infectious!
SO: Lorenzo and Jacopo are a dream team, with unique styles that complement each other wonderfully. Every issue presents new challenges, and these two are more than up to each one. I don’t know if we have a shorthand so much as they know I want to tee them up for beautiful, exciting work. Your collaborators are your first audience! And having been lucky to work with Lorenzo and Jacopo for so long, I know that if I keep each issue fresh, with new imagery and new action, they’ll take that innovative energy and infuse it into every panel. Their intrigue translates into some of the most elegant, illuminated storytelling in the business!
FS: What has been your favorite part about writing for this miniseries so far?
SO: Probably the death-worshipping, gas-guzzling motorcycle gang? And that’s not entirely a joke, because it’s emblematic of our shift in tone to cosmic horror in the tradition of Howard and Lovecraft. The forces at play in THE VISION AND SCARLET WITCH are very old, very alien to human perception, and very hungry. Confronting cruelty from beyond the mortal plane might seem impossible, but that word doesn’t mean much for Wanda and Vision.
FS: Have the characters taken any turns you didn’t anticipate them taking when you first started the project?
SO: They absolutely have—in fact, I’d be worried if they didn’t. You can’t grow up reading Grant Morrison and Mikhail Bulgakov, you can’t be raised on Tristam Shandy and Twin Peaks and not expect the characters you’re working with to take on a life of their own and tell you where they want to go. Then, we look at how that connects with where they need to go for growth. In the push and pull between those ends, we find drama and story.
With Vision, he’s surprised me with his understanding of humanity combined with his conception that he struggles to do so—the distance he feels might be something he’s maintaining without knowing it. With Wanda, it’s that she still has so much to learn. She was down for so long, and now she’s not. But in her drive to show she’s fine, she’s taken on an almost tunnel vision. It surprised her with Amaranth—she thought she was doing great. What was a correction for her, personally, may now be an overcorrection—and that can be dangerous in its own right.
FS: The Vision and Wanda have had a unique relationship over the years. Why do you think fans find it so enduring and endearing?
SO: I think it’s because Wanda and Vision are like us. Though the trappings of their relationship are heavily comics, just like Wanda’s unique blended family, the themes and arcs are deeply human. These are people who had to overcome massive personal hurdles for each other, who struggled with conception, who struggled with losing their children. These are people whose marriage broke down, and who had to endure their love for each other being deeply wounded, only to heal back as something new and different. These are people who’ve made mistakes, who don’t always get it right, but who care deeply for each other throughout it all. And I think that makes them one of the most relatable set of characters on the page—the telling is big, weird, bombastic comics…but the heart is just so human.
FS: Is there anything you can tease about what we can expect to see in the series?
SO: We’re celebrating 50 years since Vision and Wanda’s wedding—this is a mini that will pay love to the past, but it’s no nostalgia project. Vision will take on a new version of a historic look. The last time he was desaturated, his emotions left with it. Vision’s all-white form forced him to question his identity and his place in the world. And this time, it’ll do that again but in a completely different way than before. What else can I tease…a quick drop-in from the Wu! The microsun reborn! Rebellious intestines with unpleasant opinions! The three tests of the heart! A heart wrenching miracle day…and an avalanche the size of a small galaxy.
The Vision and The Scarlet Witch #1 goes on sale Wednesday, May 21, 2025, from Marvel Comics.
From the official issue description:
REUNITED…UNDER FATAL CIRCUMSTANCES! Mysterious doors are opening all over the world, drawing people in with promises of miracles and reunions with lost loved ones. When Vision is mortally wounded investigating the deadly truth of the doors, the Scarlet Witch resorts to extreme measures to save his life – and the results are unlike anything either of them expected! Marvel’s original star-crossed lovers reunite for the 50th Anniversary of their wedding!