'WandaVision' Showrunner Shares The Story Behind That Big Episode 5 Reveal

Last week, WandaVision laid a whopper of a major reveal on us, introducing a cameo that may shatter the Marvel Cinematic Universe as we know it. And WandaVision showrunner Jac Schaeffer has broken her silence on the late-episode twist, revealing that the introduction of this...certain character was planned early on. With Marvel chief Kevin Feige on board, of course.

This post contains spoilers for WandaVision episode 5.

In true Marvel fashion, the biggest reveal of WandaVision thus far came after the credits. As the "credits" rolled during Wanda and Vision's explosive argument, the doorbell rang to reveal none other than...Pietro Maximoff. But not the Pietro we know from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson before the character's demise during Avengers: Age of Ultron. It's Peter Maximoff, played by X-Men franchise actor Evan Peters, apparently recast in Wanda's weird sitcom world. It was a reveal that blew the doors wide open on the Marvel multiverse, and one that Schaeffer had planned early on in the series' production, alongside executive producer Mary Livanos and Marvel Studios honcho Kevin Feige.

"We loved the idea of [bringing him back]," Schaeffer said in a recent interview with Marvel.com. "And then we were like, how in the world are we going to make this make logical sense? Like, how do we justify this? Because that's the thing, you can hatch a million great ideas, but to make them land, to make them be grounded, to make them feel organic to the larger story." Schaeffer continued:

"We thought like, how do we give him this entrance, and then enjoy that, and then make it crazy? And we had long had the idea of the trope of the brother, or the relative, or whoever comes to town and like, stirs things up with the family — that sitcom trope. Everybody was really excited. I think Kevin [Feige, Marvel Studios president] wanted to make sure that there was a reason for it, that it made sense. And I hope that's what we did."

There is certainly a reason for it, and one that Feige himself has been hinting at for ages: the introduction of the Marvel multiverse. It's the plot thread that will likely be the biggest lead-in into Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, in which Olsen's Wanda will also play a major role. With Nu Pietro in tow, perhaps? Who knows?

To pull off such a top-secret cameo, Schaeffer and co. needed Peters' commitment early on, which they secured. Schaeffer praised Peters' willingness to try anything with the role, adding, "We were rooting for it for so long, and didn't know if it would be possible. It was complicated to make happen. Evan was always up for it — like, always, always, always. He is a comic book fan, and a Marvel fan. He is always up for the absolute weirdest option. And he's a pleasure — truly a pleasure to work with."

WandaVision debuts new episodes every Friday on Disney+. Check out our latest spoiler podcast here.