Why did Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Evan Peters play two different versions of Quicksilver in Marvel? The character rights drama explored
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has seen a lot of things and will definitely see a lot more, but it also saw two different variations of Quicksilver before the era of multiverse crept in. Now, it will not be shocking to see two different versions of the same hero, something we have seen in films like Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and shows like Loki.
However, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Evan Peters had taken up different versions of the same character much earlier. Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who has come a long way since his debut in the MCU with Avengers: Age of Ultron, which also became his last appearance, played Pietro Maximoff, a fictional Scandinavian version of Quicksilver. Meanwhile, Evan Peters played Peter Maximoff, a faithful recreation of the iconic character from the comics.
The reason Marvel had a different Quicksilver from that of the X-Men franchise was because of the character rights. Marvel had originally sold the character rights of X-Men and the mutants to Fox while keeping the Avengers for itself. Quicksilver became a problem because he was featured in both comics to varying degrees.
How Quicksilver's Marvel comics appearance led to two different actors portraying him
Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, who were siblings in the lore, first appeared in the fourth issue of X-Men, though they had a completely different origin story from the one that was depicted in Avengers: Age of Ultron.
However, Quicksilver became a more prominent part of The Avengers, a team he joined in the 16th issue. Due to his allegiance to both the comic lores, this became a character of interest for Marvel and Fox.
As both studios wanted to use the character, they agreed on Marvel using a slightly different version of the speedster, with the MCU going for a different origin story and slightly different character design.
However, the universes ultimately merged when Evan Peters' version of Quicksilver returned to WandaVision, effectively breaking the wall between his version and Aaron Taylor-Johnson's version.
This also gave a multiversal explanation to the two different Quickslivers. However, it is unlikely that Evan Peters and Aaron Taylor-Johnson will ever play the two versions of the character together in the future.
Evan Peters may continue in the MCU, but Aaron Taylor-Johnson has moved ahead with Sony
Evan Peters' version of Quicksilver was depicted in WandaVision, and with Deadpool also merging with the main Marvel Cinematic Universe, there is every possibility that Peters would return soon.
However, this cannot be said about Taylor-Johnson, who has already moved ahead with a different project in Sony's extended Spider-Man universe. Aaron Taylor-Johnson is slated to play the titular role in Sony's upcoming Kraven the Hunter, which will aim to resurrect the struggling Sony superhero universe.
Kraven the Hunter will premiere on August 30, 2024, and has reportedly received good pre-screening reviews. Sony needs a big win in the superhero genre soon after the dismal response to Madame Web, which boasted an all-star cast but failed to impress fans or critics.