Quicksilver's status as mutants, and more importantly, made them officially no longer the biological children of Magneto. However, fans remain hopeful that Marvel will eventually reverse course, and retcon this retcon, and some believe the MCU will be the catalyst for this.

The Magneto family tree has grown complicated over the years, but the basic thing readers need to know is that Wanda and Pietro Maximoff were long-established as the bio-kids of Magneto, until 2014's AXIS event series upended this understanding of the characters' relationship, while also putting forth the bold revisionist position that Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver are not even actually mutants.

While this remains the canon status of the characters, it also continues to be widely disliked, and even disregarded, among the fandom; thankfully, given comics' fluid continuity, there is always time for Marvel to walk it back.

After Over A Decade, Fans Have Never Fully Come To With Marvel's Big Quicksilver/Scarlet Witch Retcon

Wanda And Pietro's Parentage And Mutant Status Are Sore Points For Readers

Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver have histories in Marvel Comics dating back nearly as far as Magneto; after Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. It wasn't until almost 1980, however, that they were revealed to be more than just Magneto's acolytes, but also his children; this in itself was a retcon, but it quickly became deeply embedded in the mythology of the X-Men franchise.

In the decades that followed, this parent-children relationship with Magneto was a core tenant of Wanda and Pietro's storylines in the Marvel Universe, especially as they underwent redemption arcs and became more thoroughly heroic characters far earlier than their father, who has only fully followed in their footsteps over the past ten years' worth of X-Men lore. This arguably reached its pinnacle with the 2005 "House of M" event, in which Scarlet Witch, mad with grief, rewrote reality to make Magneto and his family the world's rulers, which dramatically culminated with Wanda drastically reducing the planet's mutant population.

This was all significantly recontextualized when Marvel rewrote the connection between Magneto and the twins, while revoking their mutant status. Since this creative decision was made in 2014, readers have rightly questioned whether there has been a substantial pay-off for the change, enough to justify it, while also calling for a reversal of the reveal. Yet, much like the publisher's steadfast refusal to undo the almost-universally-reviled Spider-Man: One More Day storyline, Marvel has remained committed to maintaining its current status quo for Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver.

Marvel Readers Rightly Question Why The Company Remains Committed To Their Revised Lore For Wanda And Pietro

The Publisher Should it Failure With The Retcon And Move On

While fans have debated, and disputed, these changes to Wanda and Pietro's place in Marvel lore for years, the foremost question when it comes to this retcon is the "cui bono," of it all. That is, what is the benefit of sticking to this version of these fan-favorite characters' backstory? This is honestly hard to gauge. In truth, the long-term impact of the retcon has been minimal, to the point where many readers simply choose to ignore it. This however, is part of the problem, because it seems to be an example of Marvel not acknowledging failure.

It would seem like an easy win to give readers what they seem to be in consensus about wanting, which is for the Quicksilver/Scarlet Witch retcon to go away.

Certainly, fans shouldn't want to discourage Marvel from taking creative risks and trying new things with classic characters; when this is successful, it produces the advancements in Hulk lore. Yet not every creative gamble is going to pay off, and it is fair to say the retcon of Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch's origins and mutant status has not yielded strong enough returns. So, it seems like little more than a degree of stubbornness that keeps Marvel from undoing it. Or rather, even more simply, it may just be that the publisher doesn't feel like it needs to.

That is, Marvel might believe that the retcon can lapse into obscurity, that it isn't necessary to go out of the way to nullify it. Unfortunately, that is another misunderstanding of how fans think, as opposed to how superhero storytellers think. What it comes down to is a chance to give fans something they want. While excessive fan service can be a detriment to superhero stories, in instances like this, it would seem like an easy win to give readers what they seem to be in consensus about wanting, which is for the Quicksilver/Scarlet Witch retcon to go away.

A Marvel Cinematic Universe Return For Wanda And Pietro Could Be Prompt Change Fans Have Been Asking For

The MCU Could ake Scarlet Witch And Quicksilver Magneto's Kids Again

There is something to be said for having representation of adopted parents and children in Marvel Comics, and indeed, among the high points of the last decade for Scarlet Witch, Quicksilver, and Magneto, have come when they have affirmed their familial bond, despite their lack of blood relation. So, once more, it is important to note that fans' objection to the retcon is more abstract than just wanting the characters' relationship to be biological. Further, if fans could only revert one of the changes, most would agree to restore the characters' mutant status.

That is where the Marvel Cinematic Universe comes in. In this case, Wanda and Pietro actually long-predating Magneto, having debuted in the MCU all the way back in a post-credits scene for Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Both Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver are currently dead in the MCU, but the prevalence of the Multiverse in the current era of Marvel’s on-screen adventures makes their return much more possible, especially if and when Magneto is introduced, and the X-Men franchise is integrated into the film continuity.

Of course, it is possible the movies could forego the relationship between the characters entirely, but that would mean pas a way to provide an immediate strong connection between the MCU and X-Men lore. Given the circumstances of Wand and Pietro's existing MCU lore, though, the biological link to Magneto would likely be the strongest narrative route to go. If this were to turn out to be the case, as fans hope, there is a good chance it would have the synergistic effect of prompting Marvel to re-establish the connection the comic continuity.

Regardless Of Lineage Or Mutant Status, Quicksilver And Scarlet Witch Are Legendary Marvel Heroes

Bridging The X-Men And Avengers Franchises

Setting aside, for now, the matter of Magneto's paternity, there is more to be said about the value of making the MCU's Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver mutants. This would be a retcon in its own right, the latest of many for the characters, but it would be another way of establishing ties between existing MCU lore and the X-Men franchise, in order to more fully enmesh the two moving forward. Whether through their connection to Magneto, or their official mutant status, Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver are an obvious pair to use to bridge that gap.

That is because, more than just Magneto’s children, Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver are two of Marvel’s earliest, and most iconic, breakout mutant heroes, thanks to their Avengers hip. That is the reason they appeared so early in MCU canon in the first place, given their Avengers history is as long and prolific as their X-Men tenure, and so it would be fitting for Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch to play some role in mutantkind ing Marvel’s next grand phase of its movie franchise.