WandaVision Episodes 7 & 8 showed us Agatha Harkness using purple magic. This comes in contrast to Wanda’s red (scarlet?) magic and the orange spells in Doctor Strange. We’ve even seen blue magic, as used by Agatha’s mother in the eighth episode.
So, what does it all mean? In Star Wars, the baddie always have the red lighstaber and the heroes mostly (mostly…) use green or blue. People have been theorizing that these different colors of magic could be related to the different color of Infinity Stones. But, I’m tired of talking about Infinity Stones! The Saga is over!
On this past week’s episode of the podcast Marvel Multiverse Mondays, I explained to Kyle my theory. I figured Agatha’s purple was from the dark dimension (as in Kaecilius’ eyes and Dormammu). The orange magic in Doctor Strange was a result of borrowing energy from other, non-dark dimensions. And Wanda’s magic is red because, well, she’s the Scarlet Witch!
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My theory is still my favorite, but WandaVision director Matt Shakman has his own, simpler explanation. As he told comicbook.com:
Well, you know, certainly Wanda’s power, as we can say, was enhanced by her experience with the Infinity Stone, which we saw in the last episode. In terms of color differentiation, I think it’s important because when you’re trying to describe what’s happening, especially with Agatha in Salem, Massachusetts. You want to be able to see her purple magic eat away at that blue magic, right? Because that’s what she does, she absorbs power, she’s taking the magic from the other witches. Which is why they look so, you know, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade at the end of that scene, because she’s literally sucked all of their sort of magic in life from them.
For us, in terms of color coding for that scene, that was one of the biggest reasons why it’s like that. And of course Wanda’s magic has been established, but we’re evolving it and changing it as we go.
That’s a shallow answer, and I do think more thought was put in it than that. Even if it isn’t important in WandaVision, the colors maybe later, so as always, I’m sure Shakman is being a bit coy.