When I was 22 and just left college, I did something wild. I went to my hairdresser and asked her to cut all my hair. It was not a hasty decision, but the result of the desire to, metaphorically, abandon the last four years of university. This haircut would start the next stage of my life. That would symbolize everything that I was leaving behind. With a simple gesture, I could fundamentally control and alter my own perception. When my hair at the middle of the back was styled in a short, curly cut, I felt physical relief. The metamorphosis was complete.
Hair is a means of expression for everyone, as it is one of the easiest things to control over our physical appearance. We can color, create, cut, braid. We can totally scrape it off. There are wigs, caps and extensions. Basically, with hair, there are countless ways to signal to the world around you who you are and what you stand for. In fictional worlds, hair can also help tell a story. This is something I noticed a long time ago with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And it’s something that recently surfaced on the Disney + series WandaVision.
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Hair plays an important role in the MCU. For men and women, it means growth and development. Thor sports a golden-haired head in his first two solo films, then a tight blow to Ragnarok, where the character received a rebranding. In Endgame, is long again, signifying Thor’s depression. When he rediscovers his value, his hair is braided as he prepares to fight Thanos; a symbol of strength and recovery. Likewise in Black Panther, the characters’ Afrocentric hair speaks of hierarchy and power. As Crystal Martin wrote to THE New York Times, the world of Wakanda “is animated by visual references to African cultures, combined with a sumptuous effect. The hair, in particular, punctuates character and plot. “
For women at MCU – especially those developed over the course of several films – hair has a vital function. Think of Carol Danvers, with her shoulder-length style in her first appearance. In Endgame, years after her Captain Marvel origin story and well in her management as a galactic heroine, is short. Carol seems more confident in the film – in her abilities and her place in the Avengers – and her hair talks about it.
And if there is a character who really knows the intricacies of “hair as a character development in the MCU”, it is the Black Widow. Let’s get into the story of Wanda’s Scarlet Witch’s hair in a moment, but first, let’s take a look at Black Widow – and see how she laid the foundation for this visual narrative mode in the MCU. Storytelling that reached its peak in WandaVision.
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The journey of the black widow’s hair
Natasha Romanoff has been through a lot. She is the most apparent and essential female character in the MCU so far. (This despite a controversial farewell in Avengers: Endgame and a solo film with years behind schedule that continues to be delayed.) And it’s easy to map your appearances based on your hair styles, which change dramatically from film to film. But your hair is not just a way of mapping your visual progress. It also says a lot about where she is mentally in each plot.
We met the Black Widow in Iron man 2, her long dark red hair and tightly curled. She is a bit of a femme fatale in the film; secret and seductive. Her curls do not reveal her identity as much as they obscure her. This is a Natasha Romanoff ready to infiltrate and spy on Stark Industries at the behest of SHIELD. Your hair is a kind of mask; heavily rolled up to restrict its hidden identity.
In The Avengers, her hair is shorter, lighter. Natasha changed the secret skin she wore in Iron man 2 and is totally herself and part of Team Avengers. She is a little more carefree and honest, and her ‘bouncy’ reflects that. Next, we see it in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, where your hair is longer and super smooth. In a revealing conversation with Steve Rogers, Natasha – whose colorful spy background haunts her present – admits that: “When I joined SHIELD, I thought I was going straight.” Her hair in the film demonstrates this: acting as a SHIELD agent to straighten out her turbulent history. (Notably, Rogers’ conversation scene takes place after they find out about the Hydra’s infiltration; right now, her hair is wet and wavy.)
The Black Widow’s hair continues to transform and change with each film. She is temporarily blonde in Avengers: Infinity War, until its red roots grow during Endgame. This two-tone look reflects your post-snap mental state. She can barely control herself, torn between the desire to give up and the part of her that needs to move on. By the time she reaches her final moment of commitment and sacrifice, her hair is completely red again, her braid reflecting the unity between the Avengers.
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The metamorphosis of Wanda Maximoff’s hair
Natasha’s hair sells her bow and also paved the way for an even more interesting hair story inside the MCU. Wanda Maximoff has one of Marvel’s most fascinating trips on the screen. We met her briefly at Winter Soldier credits and more formally in Avengers: Age of Ultron. The Sokovian was a guinea pig for Hydra – along with her twin brother Pietro – where her natural witch powers were amplified by the Mental Stone. At the Ultron, she is a kind of villain, joining the ranks of the android of the same name. She opposes Tony Stark, blaming Stark Industries for her parents’ deaths. Eventually, she switches sides and becomes an Avenger – and her hair signals this transition.
At the Ultron era, Wanda has brown hair. He lightens up a little and looks almost red in his next appearance, Captain America Civil War. In Avengers: Infinity War, your hair is a strong red. There are many ways to interpret this change. It may be a reflection of your journey to take on the role of Scarlet Witch. (More on that soon.) Or it can denote your proximity to the Vision; she is in a relationship with him for Infinite War, and Vision’s suit is red.
Regardless, red seems to be her signature hair color going forward. Especially as evidenced by the end of WandaVision.
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What Scarlet Witch’s hair tells us about the character
WandaVision it is really an exercise in visual narrative. Wanda Maximoff, in complete grief after Thanos murdered Vision, flees to the city of Westview in New Jersey. That’s where Vision bought land in hopes of settling down with Wanda. In a fit of sadness, Wanda covers Westview in something called Hex; a distorted reality bubble that renders the city and its inhabitants in various times of TV sitcoms. It is all an elaborate coping mechanism for Wanda, who uses his Mental Stone skills to “resurrect” a version of Vision. They play house together, Wanda using her love of comedies to color the episode each week. There are tributes to The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Brady Bunch, Family Ties, Modern Family, and more.
It’s beautiful, but scary. Wanda is holding an entire city in captivity because she cannot get rid of Vision. To further complicate matters, a powerful witch named Agatha Harkness visits Hex to discover the extent of Wanda’s powers. The two wander through the past and reveal that Wanda is actually an ancient entity known as the Scarlet Witch, a “Harbinger of Chaos” with abilities to destroy the universe. Wanda and Agatha eventually duel, and Wanda is able to render Agatha impotent thanks to some useful rune magic. In the process, she also absorbs Agatha’s unruly hair by accepting her role as Scarlet Witch.
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Wanda’s hair is absolutely critical to WandaVision. Not only does it represent every television era, but it reflects Wanda’s entire state of mind. It is curled and combed in the introduction episode of the 1950s, when things are just beginning. And gradually it loosens and stretches until it becomes a disheveled mess by the Modern Family tribute. But when Wanda fully enters his Scarlet Witch powers, he is a fierce mane of wavy red flames, evoking his Chaos Magic. She is wild, untamed, powerful – and quite dangerous. She may be a villain going forward, and her loose witch hair suggests it.
Just as I once cut my hair to take control of my identity and presentation, so does Wanda throughout WandaVision, and now as Scarlet Witch. The MCU took advantage of a way of expressing the very real world and made it relevant to the plot. It is one of the many incredible things about this fictional universe. And it will be fascinating to see how they will use this trick going forward.