Warning: the following features minor spoilers for The Electric State...
Director duo the Russo brothers, formed of Anthony and Joe Russo, are certainly no stranger to sneaking Easter eggs into their movies, given their long history with Marvel. However, admittedly an easily missed nod in their new Netflix film The Electric State certainly comes as a surprise.
In case you didn't spot it, as our protagonist Michelle (Millie Bobby Brown) and companion Keats (Chris Pratt) walk into the mall which the robots are calling their home following a devastating war against humanity, there's a reference to the Avengers.
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As the pair enter, off to the side is a robot reading a Marvel comic book, an issue of Avengers West Coast nonetheless. Now, perhaps this is simply the Russo brothers sharing their continued love for the world of Marvel and nodding to their previous work in the MCU, which includes Avengers: Endgame.
However, given that the duo are preparing to make their return to the superhero franchise with both Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, easily two of the most eagerly anticipated upcoming Marvel projects, I'm convinced that there is more than meets the eye with this Easter egg.
That's right, it's time to get those tinfoil hats on!
Which Marvel comic is the robot reading?
The first thing to address is the exact comic book that the robot is reading, which is easy to identify thanks to the fact we can easily see that it is an Avengers West Coast issue with iconic artwork featuring the Scarlet Witch. In fact, if you really look you can also see the words 'the witch is back' featured on a yellow text box.
This is an exact replication of the artwork used on 1990's Avengers West Coast #56 titled 'Darker Than Scarlet', meaning we know for sure that it is this issue.
Now, if you are unfamiliar with this issue, it focuses on the Scarlet Witch as she switches sides, imprisoning Wonder Man, the Wasp, Agatha Harkness, and U.S. Agent. Naturally her friends are concerned by Wanda's sudden change of heart, especially since the witch is now boasting about the fact that she is 'anti-human'.
Eventually they learn that her powers have been growing at an incredible rate, with the conclusion seeing Hank Pym hold Wanda at arms length during a fight as Magneto stumbles upon them to cause some disruption. Quicksilver then quickly appears to save his sister from the situation, with the heroes still baffled by the events.
Does this mean the Scarlet Witch is returning to the MCU?
Now, surely the Russos picked this exact issue for a reason, especially since they are soon returning to the world of the MCU. Perhaps they are teasing what we can expect from their upcoming features, Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars... including Scarlet Witch's return?
Ever since we last saw Wanda on screen, where she was being crushed by a giant rock in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, fans have been eagerly awaiting Elizabeth Olsen's character's return. Look, no one is ever really dead in the MCU. In fact, throughout the recent Disney Plus series Agatha All Along, although the Scarlet Witch was ultimately a no show, we were given many clues that she is still alive in the world somewhere.
The Russos are clever and know that this is a hot topic within the Marvel fandom, so it would be totally like them to want to help feed that conversation, in the same way that shows like Agatha All Along did. Hell, the words on the comic we see in The Electric State explicitly say 'the witch is back', so this could easily be the directors setting up Scarlet Witch's return. We already know that both Doomsday and Secret Wars will be chock-a-block filled with returning characters, so Scarlet Witch showing up wouldn't be a huge surprise.
Notably, whilst the Avengers West Coast issue that the robot is reading doesn't explicitly have anything to do with Secret Wars, it does have a tie to Doctor Doom, who we know will be played by a returning Robert Downey Jr. in Doomsday.
That's because around 15 years after that issue of the comic released, another one revealed that one of the reasons Wanda broke bad here was because Doctor Doom was manipulating her, as part of his plan to eventually steal her powers so he can kill the Avengers. So, this Avengers West Coast issue does have a direct link after all to one of the movies that the Russos are making...
Of course, only time will tell whether we are right, but the Russos both know Marvel fans and are smart, so it wouldn't be a surprise that this was indeed a perfectly placed clue for only the eagle-eyed to catch. 'The witch is back' – we are certainly hoping so.
The Electric State is out now on Netflix. Check out our The Electric State review for our spoiler-free verdict on the new movie.
Looking for something else from the streaming service to add to your watch list? Check out our recommendations of the best Netflix movies.
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