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Draft:Pietro Maximoff (Marvel Cinematic Universe)

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Pietro Maximoff
Marvel Cinematic Universe character
First appearanceCaptain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
Last appearance
Based on
Adapted by
  • Christopher Markus
  • Stephen McFeely
Portrayed by
In-universe information
Affiliation
Family
  • Oleg Maximoff (father)
  • Irina Maximoff (mother)
  • Wanda Maximoff (sister)
Relatives
NationalitySokovian

Pietro Maximoff is a fictional character appearing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), portrayed by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, based on the comic book character Quicksilver, a mutant with the ability to move at superhuman speed. Taylor-Johnson appears as the MCU character in the mid-credits scene of Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) and Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) as well as in flashbacks sequences in the limited series WandaVision (2021). Evan Peters portrays Ralph Bohner, who impersonates Pietro in Wanda Maximoff's Hex, in a main role in WandaVision and Gabriel Gurevich portrays him as a child.

Casting and characterization

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Aaron Taylor-Johnson at the 2014 San Diego Comic-Con

Quicksilver first appears in X-Men #4 (March 1964) and was created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby.[1] Taylor-Johnson first appears as Maximoff in the post-credits scene of Captain America: The Winter Soldier as a Hydra test subject.[2] In November 2013, Marvel confirmed that Taylor-Johnson would play Pietro Maximoff / Quicksilver.[3] Taylor-Johnson had been in negotiations since as early as June of that year.[4][5][6]

Taylor-Johnson felt Pietro was defined by the fact that he and his sister were abandoned by their family, and they both had to grow up "in Eastern Europe defending and looking out for themselves and each other," that they both look to the other for guidance. Taylor-Johnson also said that Quicksilver was "very overprotective" of Scarlet Witch and has "real anger frustration", which results in him being easily bored because of a short attention span.[7] Feige stated exploring Quicksilver's relationship with his sister and his backstory growing up in Eastern Europe would help differentiate the character from Evan Peters' version in X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014).[8] Taylor-Johnson stated that the running style for Quicksilver went through multiple iterations. Much of Taylor-Johnson's scenes were filmed outdoors to give "life" to his running, as opposed to running indoors in front of a green screen.[9] To create the scenes depicting how Quicksilver views the world, scenes were shot with an ultra-high-speed camera and later combined with shots of Taylor-Johnson moving through the same scene at normal speed.[10]

Schaeffer and Livanos were eager to bring Pietro back in the series, and decided to take advantage of its notions of "what's real and what's not, and performance, and casting, and audience, and fandom" by having the character be "recast" within the fictional WandaVision program.[11] The casting of Peters was a reference to his role as Peter Maximoff in 20th Century Fox's X-Men film series.[12] Schaeffer noted that this recasting worked for the series on a meta level by playing on the sitcom tropes of recasting characters without much fuss and also of having a relative arrive in town who "stirs things up" with the sitcom's family. Shakman said Peters' role in the series was a way to play with the audience's expectations in a similar way to Ben Kingsley playing Trevor Slattery in Iron Man 3 (2013), in which that character poses as the Mandarin.[13] Schaeffer likened Peters' performance to a mixture of the characters Jesse Katsopolis from Full House, Nick Moore from Family Ties and Joey Tribbiani from Friends.[14]

Appearances

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Further information: Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Avengers: Age of Ultron, and WandaVision
  • In the mid-credits scene of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Maximoff is introduced with his sister Wanda as a volunteer Hydra test subject in Sokovia.
  • In Avengers: Age of Ultron, Maximoff and Wanda have a lifelong hatred for American arms manufacturer Tony Stark, whose bombs killed their parents, they side with Ultron against the Avengers before later switching sides. In the final conflict with Ultron, Maximoff dies a hero's death saving the lives of Clint Barton and a Sokovian boy.
  • Maximoff is mentioned throughout WandaVision multiple times by multiple characters. The role of Pietro is later forcibly impersonated by Westview resident Ralph Bohner by Agatha Harkness. Bohner also gains Pietro's super-speed, through a magical necklace he was wearing.
    • In the episode "Previously On", a young Pietro (portrayed by Gabriel Gurevich) appears in a scene set in 1999.

Fictional character biography

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Childhood and Hydra test subject

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Further information: Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Born in 1989, Pietro grew up with his twin sister Wanda and their parents in an apartment in the fictional country Sokovia in Eastern Europe during a war. As a child, the family also practiced speaking English in the household, hoping to someday leave their war-torn country and migrate to America. After a missile blew up their apartment and killed their parents, Wanda and Pietro were stuck inside the damaged building for two days after a second Stark Industries missile flew in. However, the missile never went off as Wanda had unknowingly cast a probability hex, turning the missile into a dud. When the twins were young adults, they volunteered as test subjects for Hydra. In 2014, Pietro is introduced as a volunteer test subject in a Hydra facility in Sokovia commanded by Baron Wolfgang von Strucker. He and Wanda are the sole survivors of Strucker's experiments using the scepter.

Meeting the Avengers

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Further information: Avengers: Age of Ultron

In 2015, the Avengers—Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, Thor, Bruce Banner, Natasha Romanoff, and Clint Barton—raid Strucker's Hydra facility and encounter Wanda and Pietro, with Wanda using her telepathic abilities to interfere with their attack. Stark and Banner subsequently use an artificial intelligence within the scepter's gem to complete Stark's "Ultron" global defense program, and the unexpectedly sentient Ultron, believing he must eradicate humanity to save Earth, recruits Wanda and Pietro, who hold Stark responsible for their parents' deaths by his company's weapons. The Avengers attack Ultron in Johannesburg, but Wanda subdues them with haunting visions, causing Banner to turn into the Hulk and rampage through the city. Ultron travels to Seoul and uses the scepter to enslave Dr. Helen Cho, using her synthetic-tissue technology, vibranium, and the Mind Stone to craft a new body. As Ultron uploads himself into the body, Wanda reads his mind and discovers his plan for human extinction. He and Wanda turn against Ultron and join the Avengers at the Avengers Tower. After Stark, Banner, and Thor cooperate to turn the captured synthetic body into the "Vision", Pietro and Wanda join the Avengers to Sokovia, where Ultron has used the remaining vibranium to build a machine to lift a large part of the capital city skyward, intending to crash it into the ground to cause global extinction. In the final conflict with Ultron, Pietro dies a hero's death saving the lives of Clint Barton and a Sokovian boy.

In the aftermath, Barton names his newborn son after Pietro.

Identity theft

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Further information: WandaVision

In 2023, Agatha Harkness possesses Westview resident Ralph Bohner forcing him to impersonate the role of Pietro and imbuing him with Pietro's super-speed by making him wear a magical necklace. In order to discover how Wanda created the hex around Westview. He was initially introduced as "Agnes"' unseen husband, who was frequently mentioned whenever Agnes needed a punchline for a laugh line. Later, Bohner went to the Vision Residence, with Wanda Maximoff confused by his different appearance but later embracing him. He began living at the Vision Residence and became an father figure for Wanda's and Vision's children, Tommy and Billy. He takes the boys trick-or-treating, causing mischief with his super speed, which Tommy is revealed to have inherited. He is later freed from Agatha's control when Monica Rambeau removes the necklace.

Critical reception

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The character's reception has been lukewarm with complaints that the character or the character's power was not developed enough compared to the comic book version or to the 20th Century Fox's X-Men film series version of the character.[15][16][17] That version of the character was described as "one of the most beloved characters from the Fox X-Men movies", whose "super-speed was represented with unique and often humorous slow-motion sequences, resulting in Quicksilver becoming a fan-favorite amongst X-Men's repertoire of mutants".[18]

Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige stated in 2015 that there are no plans for Quicksilver to appear in future Marvel Studios films;[19] the character is referenced throughout the Disney+ series WandaVision when Westview resident Ralph Bohner (portrayed by Evan Peters) is forced to impersonate him. This was a nod to Peters' past role in the X-Men films. The initial reception before the reveal of the twist was mainly positive.[20][21][22] Though when the twist was revealed it was mixed-to-negative response compared to the Trevor Slattery / Mandarin twist in Iron Man 3.

The casting of Peters as "Pietro Maximoff" was one in particular, with Carlos Morales of IGN feeling using Peters in the role was "a hollow move, because it simultaneously dilutes what should be an important character beat into an 'I know him!' cameo, while also opening up a well of speculation that doesn’t really go anywhere. It also isn’t necessary, because using the MCU version of Quicksilver as a ghost, vision or reincarnation could have added to the main thematic thread of Wanda processing her grief." Schaeffer said Peters ultimately portraying Ralph Bohner was not meant to feel like "a prank" and described how the casting fit into the series' larger exploration of Maximoff's grief,[23] adding using another actor besides Peters was "not going to have the same thrill, and craziness, and questions, and be as disorienting".[24] Screen Rant's Daniel Gillespie agreed, called the casting "an incredibly smart move, as it threw audiences off the scent" and helped spark theories and discussion for the series and MCU that might not have happened if it another actor had been cast. Adam B. Vary from Variety felt Peters appearing turned out to be a play on the sitcom trope of character recastings was "a really good joke", but conceded for it to fully work, the viewer needed to know that Peters had previously portrayed Peter Maximoff in the X-Men films.[25] This is where Vary felt the series "got itself into some trouble" since "all kinds of multiverse shenanigans seemed to be at play, and the serious (and seriously online) fandom took that and sprinted with it".[26]

Notes

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  1. ^ Wanda is married to an alternate version of Vision in WandaVision.
  2. ^ Wanda has children with the alternate version of Vision in WandaVision.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Brown, Jonathan Rikard (July 2013). "X-Factor vs. X-Factor: A Look at the Role of Identity in Peter David's X-Factor". Back Issue! (65). Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing: 73–78.
  2. ^ Fitzpatrick, Kevin (April 7, 2015). "'Agents of SHIELD' 'Afterlife' Deathloks 'Age of Ultron' Tie". ScreenCrush. Retrieved 2021-05-22.
  3. ^ McMillan, Graeme (November 25, 2013). "Marvel Confirms Taylor-Johnson, Olsen for 'Avengers: Age of Ultron'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 7, 2021. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
  4. ^ Kroll, Justin (June 7, 2013). "'Avengers 2': 'Kick-Ass' Star Aaron Taylor-Johnson in Early Talks to Play Quicksilver". Variety. Archived from the original on June 9, 2013. Retrieved June 7, 2013.
  5. ^ Chitwood, Adam (July 29, 2013). "Aaron Taylor-Johnson Talks The Avengers 2 and Godzilla; Says He's Met with Joss Whedon and Marvel for Avengers Role". Collider. Archived from the original on August 4, 2013. Retrieved July 30, 2013.
  6. ^ Sneider, Jeff (October 30, 2013). "Aaron Taylor-Johnson Closes Deal to Play Quicksilver in Marvel's 'Avengers: Age of Ultron' (Exclusive)". TheWrap. Archived from the original on February 19, 2014. Retrieved October 30, 2013.
  7. ^ "Aaron Taylor-Johnson on wanting to 'push the boundaries' with Quicksilver". Total Film. August 1, 2013. Archived from the original on October 5, 2013. Retrieved October 30, 2013.
  8. ^ How Avengers: Age of Ultron Quicksilver is Different from X-Men: Days of Future Past - IGN, 22 July 2014, retrieved 2021-05-22
  9. ^ "Meet The Newest Members Of The "Avengers" Franchise". BuzzFeed News. Retrieved 2021-05-22.
  10. ^ Vary, Adam (March 27, 2015). "How Joss Whedon Brought Quicksilver And Scarlet Witch To The "Avengers" Franchise". BuzzFeed. Archived from the original on March 27, 2015. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
  11. ^ "WandaVision: Evan Peters Arrives as the Latest Westview Resident". Marvel Entertainment. Retrieved 2021-05-22.
  12. ^ "'WandaVision' recap: Family ties, for real". EW.com. Retrieved 2021-05-22.
  13. ^ "WandaVision Director Explains the Show's Unexpected Iron Man 3 Parallel". Comic Book Resources. 2021-03-09. Retrieved 2021-05-22.
  14. ^ Itzkoff, Dave (2021-03-08). "How the 'WandaVision' Creator Brought Her Vision (and Wanda's) to Life". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-05-22.
  15. ^ "Quicksilver vs. Quicksilver: How 'Avengers' and 'X-Men' introduced the same character differently". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 10, 2019. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  16. ^ "Every Major Hero In The MCU Officially Ranked From Weakest To Strongest". Screen Rant. January 2, 2019. Archived from the original on July 17, 2019. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  17. ^ Looper Staff (5 December 2017). "Marvel Cinematic Universe characters who are useless". Looper.com. Archived from the original on December 9, 2019. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  18. ^ Abernathy, Kristen (February 8, 2021). "Marvel Can Pick The Best Bits Of The X-Men Movies To Improve MCU Canon". Screen Rant.
  19. ^ Holmes, Adam (May 9, 2015). "What Kevin Feige Thinks Of Quicksilver's Future At Marvel". CinemaBlend. Archived from the original on May 9, 2015. Retrieved May 9, 2015.
  20. ^ Shepard, Jack (February 5, 2021). "WandaVision Episode 5 Review: "Marvel Has Blown The Bloody Doors Off"". Total Film. Archived from the original on February 6, 2021. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  21. ^ "All-New Halloween Spooktacular!". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  22. ^ Purslow, Matt (February 12, 2021). "WandaVision: Season 1, Episode 6 Review". IGN. Archived from the original on February 13, 2021. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  23. ^ Why Doesn't Quicksilver Matter in WandaVision? - IGN, 8 March 2021, retrieved 2021-05-22
  24. ^ WandaVision Writer Didn't Want Quicksilver Cameo to Feel Like a 'Prank' - IGN, 10 March 2021, retrieved 2021-05-22
  25. ^ "WandaVision's Evan Peters Was Never Meant To Become The MCU's Quicksilver". Screen Rant. 2021-03-11. Retrieved 2021-05-22.
  26. ^ Framke, Caroline; Vary, Adam B. (2021-03-06). "'WandaVision': A Marvel Expert and Casual Fan Unpack 'The Series Finale' and the Double-Edged Sword of Fan Theories". Variety. Retrieved 2021-05-22.
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