Draft:Darcy Lewis

Doctor Darcy Lewis is a fictional character portrayed by Kat Dennings in Marvel Cinematic Universe. She has made appearances in Thor (2011), Thor: The Dark World (2013), WandaVision (2021), two episodes of What If...? (What If...Thor Were An Only Child? and What If...Happy Hogan Saved Christmas?) (2021-present), and Thor: Love and Thunder (2022). In her first appearance, she worked as an intern to Dr Jane Foster and Dr Erik Selvig, two renowned astrophysicists. She has also marked her appearance in several of the Marvel Cinematic Universe tie-in comics. She was also one of the protagonists of 2018 tie-in novel The Cosmic Quest Volume Two: Aftermath.

She made her comic book debut in the Scarlet Witch comic series (2023) as Wanda Maximoff's magic shop employee, while continuing her appearance in Scarlet Witch & Quicksilver (2024) and Women of Marvel (2024).

Concept and Creation
Around November 2009, Natalie Portman revealed that Dennings has joined the cast of Thor, which was written by Ashley Edward Miller, Zack Stentz, and Don Payne. The character was initially conceived as a middle-aged man with a son by Zack Stentz. However, Don Payne later rewrote her character to be a young woman and a political science major. Her role in Thor: The Dark World was expanded from the comic relief sidekick role she played in the first Thor film. In August 2019, Dennings was revealed to be reprising her role of Darcy in WandaVision, along with the reveal that Randall Park would return as Jimmy Woo in the series and Kathryn Hahn's casting.

In 2023, Steve Orlando and Sara Pichelli introduced Darcy Lewis into the mainstream Marvel comics, almost a decade later her first appearance in the marvel cinematic universe. She debuted in Scarlet Witch #1 (2023) as Wanda’s magic shop employee with a dangerous secret. Her inclusion in the comics was to remind the reader “just how intense and eccentric [superhero] world can seem to someone on the street.” Although with no superpowers, Darcy’s role in the comics is to mirror the journey of Wanda’s.

Since then, she has appeared in 10 issues of Scarlet Witch (2023), one issue of Scarlet Witch & Quicksilver, and one issue of Women of Marvel (' Witch House') (2024).



Characterization
Dennings described her character in Thor as Foster's "little helper gnome". Dennings stated that her role was expanded during the rehearsal process. Dennings explained, "She's kind of like a cute, clueless, little puppy or maybe a hamster. There wasn't much on the page for the Darcy role to begin with and I didn't even see a script before I took the job so I didn't really know who Darcy was at first. But she really evolved—she's so much fun now even. She's very Scooby-Doo if that makes sense. She's always three steps behind and reacting to what's happening with these great expressions ... She gets things wrong and doesn't care."

Her role in the film Thor: The Dark World was expanded from the comic relief sidekick role she played in the first Thor film. Dennings said her character is "really bad at real science in this first movie. In the second movie, she's more interested, but she still doesn't know anything about it. She loves Jane, she really wants Jane and Thor to be together. It's almost like her own little soap opera that she watches." Returning to the role for the first time since Thor: The Dark World in WandaVision, Dennings felt Lewis would not have changed much as a person, but would be older and wiser after going to school to receive her doctorate in astrophysics. Additionally, Dennings felt the character has more confidence in herself now that she is viewed as "the boss" which she never was in the films.

Working with Foster and Selvig
Initially a Political Science student at the Culver University, Darcy Lewis applied to an astrophysics internship under Dr Jane Foster and Dr Erik Selvig to get six college credits. The trio travelled to New Mexico to study the spatial anomalies hypothesized by Foster.

Lewis, Foster and Selvig first met a powerless Thor after a sudden wormhole made an appearance and stranded the latter on Earth. His erratic behavior led him to be tasered by Lewis. After she discovered that Thor was the one in the middle of the anomaly, she along with Foster and Selvig decided to help Thor to find his way back to Asgard.

Shipped off to Norway
Lewis along with Foster was sent to Tromsø, Norway by S.H.I.E.L.D. during the Chitauri attack of 2012 to protect the latter from Loki. After getting no answers to why they were there, Lewis hacked into SHIELD and found the live footage of Battle of New York where Thor was fighting. Lewis comforted her friend, assuring Foster that Thor will return after the battle. However, after waiting and searching for him for a year, Foster gave up the hope.

Return of Thor
Lewis still working for Foster, moved to London with her in search of missing Selvig who called them there. However, after interrupting Foster’s date, both discover an anomaly known as the Convergence that led to Foster being infected with Aether. After Thor took Foster to Asgard, Lewis was left behind to manage the astrophysicist’s work. She discovered Selvig’s whereabouts and eventually freed him from the psychiatric institution.

With the Convergence in full-effect, Thor, Foster, Selvig and Lewis prepared to battle Malekith and the Dark Elves who planned to unleash the Aether on to the universe. Lewis helped in the installation of the teleportation devices to send Malekith and the Dark Elves back to Svartalfheim. The battle ended with Thor defeating the Dark Elves and killing Malekith.

Years-in between
Sometimes after the events of Thor: The Dark World, Lewis completed her graduation and completed her doctorate in astrophysics. She was one of the survivors of the Snap in 2018.

The Westview Anomaly
Recruited by the S.W.O.R.D., now astrophysicist Dr Darcy Lewis was called to investigate an anomaly. She picked up on the high CMBR levels intertwined with a broadcast frequency coming from the Wanda Maximoff’s Hex which helped in her discovering the WandaVision show. This helped in the identification of all the victims of hex, including Monica Rambeau. To learn more about it she along with Jimmy Woo tried to contact Wanda with the help of radio transmission which eventually led to failure.

After Rambeau was ejected from the Hex by Maximoff, Lewis noticed former’s scans were blank. The trio of Lewis, Rambeau and Woo tried to solve the mystery of the anomaly and discovered that Maximoff is wielding an insane amount of power while changing the reality inside of the Hex. The trio was ejected from the S.W.O.R.D. Response base after their comments against Tyler Hayward, director of SWORD. They, however, gained access to the computers by escaping the team escorting them out.

After getting back into the base, Lewis hacked into the SWORD database and found that the energy from the Hex has re-written Rambeau’s cells on a molecular level. She also discovered Hayward's Project Cataract. In there was a full map of Westview along with a headcount of its residents. She also found that Hayward was tracking Vision. When Rambeau and Woo decided to leave, she stayed behind to break into Hayward's last firewall.

When Vision tried to come out of the Hex, he started to fall apart, seeing this Lewis tried to save him. She was handcuffed to a vehicle and left by the S.W.O.R.D. to be consumed by the expansion of the Hex. In the Hex, she gets a new persona of an escape artist under Maximoff’s influence and was awakened by Vision. While on the move to the Vision’s Residence, the duo talked about Vision’s past life and how he sacrificed himself to save the universe. Lewis also assured him that the love between him and Maximoff was very real.

Due to several obstacles in the way Vision had to leave Lewis on the road by phasing out of the van. She later arrived in Westview square and slammed into hayward’s Humvee, stopping him from harming Maximoff’s family. After the ordeal was over, she left before she could be questioned and told Rambeau, “debriefs are for the weak.”

Visiting Jane
When Lewis got to know about Jane Foster’s cancer, she accompanied her to the chemotherapy appointments. She advised Foster to slow down and seek Thor’s help.

The Cosmic Quest Volume Two: Aftermath (2018)
Darcy Lewis is one of the protagonists of The Cosmic Quest Volume Two: Aftermath (2018). She along with Dr Erik Selvig and Felix try to figure out why the half of the population disappeared.

Scarlet Witch (2023)
First introduced as Wanda Maximoff’s employee, Darcy Lewis was a failed journalist who wanted to redeem her byline. To do so, she infiltrated a Bacchae sect, Daughters of Enyo, and killed a member in self-defense. She ran to save herself until she found the Last Door leading her to Wanda's magic shop in Lotkill, a small town in New York where she is currently employed. Her journey mirrors Wanda’s journey. She is fiercely protective of Wanda especially when others try trick her. Wanda considers her 'a trusted friend and advisor.'

Scarlet Witch & Quicksilver (2024)
Continuing her journey from Scarlet Witch 2023, Darcy is still employed as Wanda’s shopkeeper at Emporium. Described as innovator of invectives, she was seen warning people off in the first issue. Even after Maximoff tried to get Lewis to leave her and the shop, the latter insisted to stay and help her. However, she heeded Maximoff's advice when the Wizard appeared and attacked both with fireball.

Women of Marvel (2024)
Darcy Lewis made her appearance in ‘Witch House’ of the anthology series. She was seen visiting the titular Witch House at the Nexus of all Realities to meet Wanda Maximoff, her employer and friend, whom she missed very much. However, it was revealed that an unnamed monster had impersonated Lewis, a friendly face to Maximoff, to make her complacent that would enable it to eat her heart and know her secrets. Later when that monster again visits the house in the guise of Lewis, it is defeated by an alternate reality Wanda Maximoff. At the same time Maximoff (Earth-616) discovered that Darcy never visited her and remarked that in every reality she has her back and if she is lucky, she also has friends.

Reception
Darcy's humor has praised by several critics. Dennings' performance in the first Thor was criticized by Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times, calling her "unimpressive". Others have called her the worst character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Feature Films

 * Thor (2011)
 * Thor: The Dark World (2013)
 * Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)

Series

 * WandaVision (2021)
 * Filmed Before a Live Studio Audience (uncredited)
 * We Interrupt This Program
 * On a Very Special Episode...
 * All-New Halloween Spooktacular
 * Breaking the Fourth Wall
 * The Series Finale
 * What If...? (2021-present)
 * What If... Thor Were An Only Child? (Season One)
 * What If... Happy Hogan Saved Christmas? (Season Two)

Tie-in Comics

 * The Avengers Prelude: Fury's Big Week (2012)
 * Thor: The Dark World Prelude (2013)
 * Thor: Ragnarok Prelude (2017)

Tie-in Novel

 * The Cosmic Quest Volume Two: Aftermath (2018)

Marvel Comics

 * Scarlet Witch #1-10 (2023)
 * Scarlet Witch & Quicksilver #1 (2024)
 * Women of Marvel ('Witch House ') (2024)