In 2023, Steve Orlando and superstar artist Sara Pichelli launched a Scarlet Witch ongoing series, with cover art by Russell Dauterman. Pichelli soon gave way to a rotating art team of Lorenzo Tammetta and Jacopo Camagni, but Orlando and Dauterman have continued with the series, even as it has been interrupted by a Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver 60th anniversary miniseries, and now, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the marriage of the Scarlet Witch and VIsion, Orlando’s Scarlet Witch run will continue in a new Vision and Scarlet Witch series, drawn by Tammetta and Camagni, with covers by Dauterman.
CBR was given the chance to talk to Orlando about the new series, as well as share an exclusive solicitation for July’s Vision and Scarlet Witch #3, plus Dauterman’s gorgeous cover for the issue (the solicits for #1-3 will be at the end of the interview), as well as some exclusive first look pages from the series which will appear throughout the interview.
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This series is celebrating the 50th anniversary of Vision and Scarlet Witch’s marriage, but you’re also revisiting the moment that broke the marriage up, with the “White Vision” era. What is compelling to you about mixing those two moments together in this series?
Steve Orlando: From a basic standpoint, this happens to be the era we were in when I first bought a comic book — WEST COAST AVENGERS was the first comic I ever saw, and it was smack dab in the “White Vision” era. So there’s certainly a thrill to be able to honor that time period in this miniseries–but that’s as a fan. As a creator, I’m compelled by the challenge–how can we make this time different? How can we mine the tragedy of the last time Vision looked like this for drama and gripping action in the present? And how, above all, can we honor Vision and Wanda as people who have loved, who have been married, who have divorced and grown apart–only to come together again in a new way as more mature, more complex people. Wanda and Vision may not be a romantic couple anymore, but their bond is stronger than ever–it’s been tempered and tested by the wildest events comics can offer. Just like with Wanda herself…I think the twists and turns Wanda and Vision have endured makes them one of the most relatable and realistic couples in the business, right beneath the veneer of the comics strangeness that we all love.
In your Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver miniseries, you revealed that Vision considers Wanda and Pietro family still. I wonder, though, what does he think about Wiccan and Speed? He’s nominally their “father,” as well, but in another form, he was their teammates. It has to be a confusing relationship. Do you have any plans to revisit the Vision’s time with the Young Avengers?
It is absolutely a complicated relationship! And I think that’s what makes it so compelling. Because the truth is, every relationship in real life is complex, every one of them has nuances. Yes, in the case of Vision, like Wanda, the complexities are expressed through the gonzo lens of comics–but they’re still a version of our own. Vision hasn’t been as engaged as he could be with Wiccan and Speed, to say the least. We’ll see how he feels about that, for sure. And the events of this mini may even make him see his own actions in a new way–that said, Vision’s time with the Young Avengers won’t be our main focus. I’d like to dig into that when Wiccan and Speed are more directly on the scene and get the most out of it. Wanda and Vision are our focus here for sure–and they’ll be tested in ways they’ve never been tested before.
A cool part of your Scarlet Witch run on the series is that the stories all clearly build on each other, like Wanda’s early betrayals informing her handling of Amaranth later. How does Wanda’s growth as a character inform her interactions with Vision in this series? Similarly, your work establishing the Door of Last Resort has done such a great job establishing that clever concept that you’ve reached the point where you can even play AGAINST that concept with the doors in this series, which also is a reward, of sorts, for the building blocks you’ve put down. I imagine it has to be a thrill to have cemented a place in the Marvel Universe solid enough to be able to play off it now.
Wanda isn’t who she was when she and Vision were together, she’s not even who she was before DARKHOLD and TRIAL OF MAGNETO. And of course, neither is Vision! The Wanda who interacts with Vision now is secure in the idea that she and Vision are family, that there is love between them–but it’s not a romantic love anymore. They’ve been down that road, and she believes they’re stronger as they are. And Vision has lost so much since he was married to Wanda, he likely agrees–but their approach to dealing with feelings, with even their thoughts, is not the same. Wanda is going to be the guide Vision needs to reckon with so many things he filed away instead of resolving. As for our doors, adding to the Marvel Universe is always a privilege! The Death’s Doors are, as you said, a dark mirror to the Last Door. One saves lives, the other dooms them. And let me tell you, they’re not all that this miniseries and this run will be adding to the Marvel Universe. You haven’t seen nothing yet!
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4. A fascinating aspect of the Marvel Universe is the way that it has so many cool characters that have been left untouched, and once ONE writer uses them, suddenly other writers see their greatness, as well. You bringing Ganymede out of character limbo, for instance, led to her being a major part of Sensational She-Hulk. How do you get ideas for which awesomely underrated character you want to bring back in any given story? Do you reread the handbooks or the wikis, or is it a matter of certain characters just touching your creative nerve, and waiting for a chance to use them in a story?
Honestly, to me, every character has potential. That’s a cliche, for sure, but I think it needs to be true. Just like every story is someone’s favorite story, every character is someone’s favorite character–that’s not just true of readers. Every character was created by someone with love, with purpose, with a reason to exist. So, if I can tap into that energy, if I can find a road that shows an ever wider range of readers why that character’s fun–that’s a win for the line, it’s a win for me, and it honors the work of the creators that came before me. Sometimes it clicks quickly, and it did with Ganymede! Sometimes, you really need to dig into the DNA and see what unique space a character can occupy once they’re in the spotlight again. That means reading their past appearances, it means considering the motivations behind their motivations to see who they really are–and how they can return to the sun in a fun, unique way. So, it’s not that I trawl wiki as much as I am always reading, always consuming stories old and new, and yes–looking for diamonds in the endless rough. I think that’s part of the job! We celebrate what came before, we build forward and up, and we show why these characters are great.
You’re continuing your work with artists Lorenzo Tammetta and Jacopo Camagni on this series. After working with them for so long, have you reached the point where you find yourself tailoring aspects of the story to their styles?
For sure! But luckily, these are two absolute killers who can and do meet any challenge the book presents. Anytime you’re on a book, it pays to familiarize yourself with the work of your collaborators–and most of all, to have a conversation with them. See what they love to draw, see what they hate to draw, see what they’ve always wanted to draw but have never had the chance! Your creative collaborators are your first audience as a writer–if they’re excited by the story and the work, that always translates to the page many times over.
It seems like a lot of fans don’t quite get how unusual it is for a creator run to be supported by a company as much as your Scarlet Witch run has been, with Marvel routinely coming up with new angles to extend it. While fans don’t get it, I am sure you do, and so I was wondering what it feels like to have as much (very well-deserved) support for your run as you have received.
It is beyond an honor to have such support! With everything that’s coming, we’ll have had a run on SCARLET WITCH that more than doubles any other run that’s come before–and there’s no end in sight! And I’ll say–we’re walking in the steps of amazing creators. The 2018 run was wonderful! And as folks who’ve read our run know, we also love the 1990s solo miniseries as well as the team-up runs from the 1980s! With this run, we hope to honor it all and yes, build more and more into the future! Being able to do that is an incredible gift–SCARLET WITCH has been unlike any other run. To be working with such killer editors and creative collaborators is unprecedented in and of itself, but to be able to do it for such a long run, to add so much new to Wanda’s world–listen, there’s no other way to say it, it’s been and will continue to be one of the high points of my career!
THE VISION & THE SCARLET WITCH #1 (OF 5)
STEVE ORLANDO (W) • LORENZO TAMMETTA (A) • Cover by RUSSELL DAUTERMAN
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!
On Sale 5/21
THE VISION & THE SCARLET WITCH #2 (OF 5)
STEVE ORLANDO (W) • LORENZO TAMMETTA (A) • Cover by RUSSELL DAUTERMAN
Vision and Wanda deal with the explosive fallout of a spell gone wrong. Will the latest fiasco draw them closer together or further apart? And what will they find on the other side of the Grim Reaper’s mysterious black doors?
On Sale 6/25
THE VISION & THE SCARLET WITCH #3 (OF 5)
STEVE ORLANDO (W) JACOPO CAMAGNI & LORENZO TAMMETTA (A) COVER BY RUSSELL DAUTERMAN
Wanda and Vision are lured to the Grim Reaper’s lair, but all in the Graverealm isn’t as it seems… As they go deeper within, they are forced to partake in a twisted game that leads them to a ballroom. Can the two dance their way through as death tries to wrench them apart?
On Sale 7/30
