AdWCreates

Scarlet Witch

Scarlet Witch / Wanda Maximoff Cosplay

2021-present

Annika de Witte

Artist’s Statement

A Marvel Wanda Maximoff (Scarlet Witch) cosplay made from thrifted pieces I hand-painted and adjusted.

When WandaVision came out in 2021, I was obsessed. I had already been a huge fan of Marvel films since I was a kid when I first watched Iron Man with my family. Wanda had been my favourite character in the MCU since her first appearance, but WandaVision was a masterpiece of television, and my appreciation for Elizabeth Olsen’s character skyrocketed. She’s the most complex, powerful, and realistic female superhero with such a heartbreaking story. I first made this cosplay in 2021 and have worn it at multiple conventions over the years, so it’s not in the best shape anymore. Last time I wore them, the leggings ripped completely, so they are unusable now. I’m planning on redoing the leggings and cape, possibly the gloves as well, for Fan Expo Canada in August 2026.

Process

The first step of this cosplay was to make the headpiece.

I had found a tutorial for designing Wanda’s crown out of a cereal box, so I decided to create it. This was around the same time I built my Mandalorian helmet out of cardboard; you can tell I was on a DIY kick during the pandemic.

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I decided to finish the cosplay for a project based on creating a “genuine fake” with iterations for a Creative Processes course I took in my first year of New Media. The slideshows below show some of my process and iterations:

I only had a few weeks to make this cosplay, so I was in a bit of a rush during the conception. I thrifted a black zip-up tank top with leather and cotton fabric from Value Village, one similar to the original. I painted the bodice with fabric paint and added the details and shading. Then I painted a few coats on the back of the bodice; it turned out kind of orange, but I fixed this later. I used silver, white, black, and red fabric paints on a pair of leather leggings I thrifted as well.
For the second part of this project, I had to add something new to the thing I chose to imitate. I decided to make the costume glow-in-the-dark, because I didn’t want to change anything about the appearance. It took a few tries to get it right, but once it worked, it looked really cool!
Glow-in-the-Dark Results
Finished Cosplay

Here are some unedited pictures from my first time wearing the cosplay at Fan Expo 2021 (during the COVID-19 pandemic, hence the mask).
And the edited versions I posted to @adwcreates:

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