Despite being in one of the first films of the MCU, Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings) has had a tough ride of it recently. One of the defining characters of the first two Thor movies, Darcy was unceremoniously forgotten by Marvel when the God of Thunder rebranded himself and went cosmic in 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok. Inasmuch, many fans thought that 2013’s Thor: The Dark World would be the last they’d see of this plucky, wise-cracking, earth-bound intern. However, the recently released WandaVision has brought back Darcy, and she’s more crucial than ever
Now a scientific expert on CMBR, she first appeared in Episode 4 of the Disney Plus series, discovering a way to hijack the “Hex’s” frequency so SWORD can monitor Wanda in Westview. This observational insight, paired with the character’s innate charm and wit, has made Darcy something of an audience stand-in in the series, making comments that reinforce the ‘sitcom reality’ of the show (as proved by her famous line, “she recast Pietro!”).
As a result, many viewers have pegged Dennings to exist solely as comic relief in the series, offsetting the increasingly dark tone of the episodes. This viewpoint was further supported by the revelation that Dennings wouldn’t feature in the upcoming Thor: Love and Thunder movie (currently filming in Australia): looks like the Thor movies really wanted nothing to do with Darcy anymore.
However, this doesn’t mean the MCU is done with Dennings, though. Indeed, in a recent promotional interview with the YouTube channel ExtraTV, the actress revealed that “there are some… ‘things’ I’ve done for Marvel that are coming out, that are not [Wandavision]”, before immediately cutting off any follow-ups with the coy “but I can’t say.” While Dennings is likely referring to Marvel’s 2021 animated show What If, in which crucial events of the MCU are subverted and reimagined (the majority of the actors of the MCU are slated to reprise their characters in voice roles), the fact she referred to plural ‘things’ has caused fans to rethink. What extra ‘things’ could Dennings be referring to? Seeing how Marvel Studios often plans and films its projects years in advance, there’s a high chance Darcy Lewis has already filmed appearances in other properties – what could they be?
Well, the most obvious answer would be involving SWORD. Despite not being directly affiliated with the agency (rather, she’s one of the countless experts brought in to help solve the Wanda mystery), she’s certainly teamed-up well with key SWORD agent Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris). Perhaps this burgeoning partnership could lead to Darcy appearing in future flicks with Rambeau, such as the upcoming Captain Marvel 2, in which Parris is slated to appear. Equally, with the Secret Wars mini-series reportedly being centered around SWORD and the Skrull ‘invasion’ of the Earth, Dennings could perhaps stay on as a SWORD staffer for that series.
However, getting into specifics, Dennings said that she had already “done” things with Marvel, implying her role was already filmed. If that’s the case, then perhaps she will be appearing in the currently-filming Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. With Elisabeth Olsen confirming that she’s already filmed some of her scenes for the film (as Wanda), perhaps Darcy will continue to play a part in the Scarlett Witch’s story by appearing in that film? Equally, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania has recently begun filming. With Jimmy Woo (Randall Park) initially appearing in a previous Ant-Man film, perhaps he will appear in this one, and Darcy will appear with him, following their fast friendship in Wandavision?
Whatever these mysterious upcoming projects are, it’s clear that Darcy Lewis is more important than fans think. As the MCU moves into Phase 4, it would seem characters that fans previously resigned to the past are returning in a big way: from Tim Roth’s Abomination in the She-Hulk mini-series, to Sharon Carter in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, to Talos in Secret Wars, smaller characters are currently having a renaissance in Marvel properties. Therefore, a character like Darcy, who has experience dealing with some of the more cosmic MCU characters (Thor and Wanda), could be well-placed to help Marvel deliver some weird ideas. Moreover, given Dennings’ comedic bona fides and Darcy’s scientific background, it would seem that the character is a perfect fit for Marvel, so would be obviously be used again and again.
Above all else, Wandavision has proved that fans can never predict where the MCU will go next. From the reveal of Fox’s Quicksilver to the idea of multiple Spider-Men appearing in a film, Marvel has torn up the proverbial rulebook, delivering narratives like no other. How characters like Kat Dennings’ Darcy Lewis fits into this new MCU is yet to be fully seen or understood, but one thing for certain: it’s likely more crucial than many think.