Wanda Maximoff's Serial Killer Traits On WandaVision Explained

Throughout the first season of Marvel's first Disney+ television series, WandaVision, viewers learn more and more unsettling secrets about Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen)... and according to one expert, the truth about Wanda may be darker than you think. Spoilers for the first seven episodes of WandaVision ahead!

As WandaVision opens, showing audiences an idyllic classic sitcom setting that echoes beloved shows like The Dick Van Dyke Show and I Love Lucy, the series moves steadily throughout different television eras and genres before revealing that Wanda is creating an alternate reality, trapping the citizens of the town of Westview just to keep her true love Vision (Paul Bettany) alive. Eventually, S.W.O.R.D. agent Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) discovers Wanda's deceit, and must try and figure out how to stop her... and free the innocent people of Westview from Wanda's false world.

Looper spoke to Dr. Meghan Marcum, PsyD. and Chief Psychologist at A Mission for Michael — a premier mental health treatment facility in Southern California — about what Wanda's dangerous actions actually indicate, and it's pretty disturbing. Here's every trait that Wanda Maximoff shares with a typical serial killer, explained.

As Dr. Marcum explains, Wanda's creation of a false reality is actually super dark — and makes her much more like a serial killer than you might think. In fact, Dr. Marcum goes as far as to compare Wanda to a classic psychopath.

"Wanda is keeping an entire town hostage and manipulating their minds for her benefit," Dr. Marcum reveals. "Psychopaths or serial killers behave in ways that directly benefit themselves without consideration or concern for the consequences inflicted on others. In fact, psychopaths often enjoy the experience of others suffering. Manipulating an entire town and essentially keeping the citizens' hostage is a sign of disregard for societal norms and justifying a means to an end on her own terms."

"Her entire world is a lie for her own personal gain," the doctor continues. "Psychopaths have no remorse for engaging in behaviors that harm others. The tendency to lie for personal gain is common among serial killers and Wanda has not shown any desire to recognize the bigger picture or look at her part in the circumstances that manifest around her."

To make matters worse, when Wanda is confronted by S.W.O.R.D., she lashes out at the agents — and even Vision — when they try to stop her. As Dr. Marcum told Looper, this is yet another serial killer trait. "When her intelligence or charm does not work to control her situation she lashes out with violence," Dr. Marcum says. "Her charm is waning on Vision as he starts to learn the reality of what she is doing. Superficial charm is often a trait of serial killers (think Ted Bundy) and is used to manipulate others for their gain. When charm doesn't work and the result is violence, this is definitely a sign of pathological behavior."

Wanda's actions may be nefarious and extraordinarily dangerous, but as the series reveals in the seventh episode, Wanda might not be as in control of her fake world as much as we previously believed. At the end of the episode, it's revealed that Wanda and Vision's next door neighbor, Agnes (Kathryn Hahn), is actually a witch named Agatha Harkness who has been manipulating and controlling the world of Westview without Wanda's knowledge... even going so far as to bring back a false version of Wanda's beloved dead brother Pietro (played in WandaVision by Evan Peters).

A character from the original Marvel Comics, Agatha is a powerful witch with her own familiar (a rabbit in the series, and a cat in the comics) whose powers are strong enough to go head to head with Wanda. To top off the big reveal, songwriters Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez — who have penned different theme songs for each episode — debuted a seriously catchy new theme song, "Agatha All Along," to reveal that Agatha has been pulling the strings of Westview this entire time. To that point, despite that Wanda's intentions are definitely iffy, Agatha definitely seems like a more dangerous figure.

WandaVision's first season will conclude on March 5, 2021, and new episodes drop on Disney+ on Fridays at midnight PST.