Author Spotlight
Caroline Wood
Another item to add to the ongoing list of reasons why 2020 was miserable is that the Marvel franchise released zero new content. But, with the new year came Marvel’s first TV series to be released on Disney+ — “WandaVision.”
When I first heard about the concept for “WandaVision,” I was intrigued. A decade-shifting, sitcom-style TV show where the main characters are Marvel superheroes — count me in!
The first episode of “WandaVision” begins in the ‘50s with Wanda Maximoff — alias Scarlet Witch — and Vision (played by Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany respectively) driving into the town, Westview, after what appears to be their wedding. The show goes through their everyday life of them making friends with their neighbors, all while keeping the secret that Vision is a cyborg and trying to ignore the suspicious scenarios such as strange voices coming out of radios and mystery objects turning up.
“WandaVision” stands out from anything else that Marvel has made so far. I never would have thought that an action-movie franchise like Marvel would produce a live-studio-audience show about a couple trying to fit into their new community.
Every episode, you’re greeted with new clothes, sets and comedic styles as each one takes place in a different decade with the same characters, replicating the style of an iconic sitcom from that time period. For instance, the third episode is set in the ‘70s and is similar to “The Brady Bunch.”
WandaVision is like a dream come true, as I can’t even count the number of times I’ve wished for a TV show to feature one of my favorite fandom couples where I just get to watch them live normal, happy lives together. But, “WandaVision” isn’t all just neighborhood fundraisers and cheesy jokes — it’s still about superheroes, after all.
Not only is the series based on classic shows, but it also alludes to the idea that “WandaVision” is a TV show itself within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), with the opening credits saying “starring Wanda Maximoff and Vision” rather than the actors’ actual names. Along with that, the commercials that run halfway through the episodes are for products from MCU companies Stark Industries and even Hydra, evil MCU consortium.
Another strange element to the show is that as Wanda and Vision go about their lives, they encounter weird events of neighbors breaking character, out-of-place objects and unexplainable incidents — giving off “The Truman Show” vibes.
The show also poses several questions regarding where they are and how their MCU pasts fit in the show. Where is this town? How are they traveling through time? How is Vision there after he died in “Avengers: Infinity War” — and didn’t return in “Avengers: Endgame.”
As an MCU fanatic, each episode has me whipping out my copy of “Ultimate Marvel” to breakdown the easter eggs dropped throughout the show, desperately trying to solve the complex puzzle hidden behind the mask of a cute, vintage sitcom.
Whether you’re a Marvel fan wanting fresh MCU content or just someone looking to watch a cute sitcom-style show with an element of mystery, “WandaVision” is a fresh change of pace that will make you laugh, gasp and keep you waiting in anticipation for the next episode to air each week.
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