Elizabeth Olsen became an irreplaceable part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe when she came in as a wild card in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Portraying the role of Wanda Maximoff a.k.a Scarlett Witch in the MCU, she reached the zenith of her power in the Disney Plus flagship series WandaVision.
One of the artifacts that WandaVision brought into the MCU narrative was the Darkhold, the book of spells that contained dark magic. Wanda possesses the Darkhold at the end of the series and even uses it in her subsequent appearance in Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness. However, it was already present in the TV show Runaways, which might not be canon anymore. Spoilers ahead.
Also read: What If Season 2 Reveals 3 New God Level Powers of Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch
How Did The Darkhold Come In Runaways And WandaVision?
The Darkhold was popularized and became a main artifact of interest in the MCU when it was depicted in the Disney Plus series WandaVision. The show sees Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlett Witch coming into its possession after it is revealed by Agatha Harkenns to control Westview, a protected reality created by Wanda.
By the end of the series, it is revealed that Wanda keeps the Book of the Damned to find her children. The book allows the user to possess alternate versions of their own selves and control them. This power is used to a large extent in Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, where Elizabeth Olsen’s Wanda Maximoff controls her alternate version to kill the Illuminati. Doctor Strange also uses this power to save America Chave in Mount Wundagore.
However, the Darkhold made its appearance in the Marvel TV show Runaways. The show was part of Marvel Television, which was dissolved into Marvel Studios after the company focused more on creating content for the streaming platform Disney Plus. The series focused on a group of teenagers who stand against their criminal parents who run the organization called Pride. The Darkhold also made its appearance in another Marvel TV show Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Did Elizabeth Olsen’s WandaVision Remove Runaways’ Status As Canon?
The Marvel Television division though operating separately, still developed shows that were officially a part of the MCU canon. Shows such as Runaways, Agent Carter, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, and Daredevil, though appearing on different channels and platforms, still referred to events in the main MCU timeline.
However, with the division merging with Marvel Studios and Kevin Feige taking over as Chief Creative Officer, the shows seem to be no longer a part of the MCU’s Sacred Timeline. In the foreword of the book, Marvel Studios: The Marvel Cinematic Universe – An Official Timeline, Kevin Feige wrote that the entries in the book would be the only shows and films that are part of the canon.
The book reportedly does not include shows like Runaways, Daredevil, and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Feige wrote,
“On the Multiverse note, we recognize that there are stories — movies and series — that are canonical to Marvel but were created by different storytellers during different periods of Marvel’s history. The timeline presented in this book is specific to the MCU’s Sacred Timeline through Phase 4.”
This statement was widely speculated to have made it official that shows that occurred prior to the Disney Plus series WandaVision were not part of the canon timeline of the franchise. This means that the Darkhold shown in Runaways and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is no longer canon and the first official appearance of the Book of the Damned is in Elizabeth Olsen’s WandaVision.
