Marvel Cinematic Universe enters Phase 4 with Disney+ Hotstar’s Original Series, WandaVision. The series created by Jac Schaeffer and directed by Matt Shakman stars Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany in the primary roles with Teyonah Parris, Kathryn Hahn, Randall Park, and Kat Dennings as the supporting cast.
Also Read: Best Marvel Movies on Disney+ Hotstar
WandaVision opens in the 1950s with a newly married Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) moving into a suburban town named Westview. Both Wanda and Vision seem to possess the same powers they did in the previous Marvel movies, but they try to conceal it in this town in true 50s fashion. Wanda is a housewife, whereas Vision has a quintessential 9-5 job at Computational Services. Wanda and Vision, just like a sitcom, have a nosy neighbor named Agnes who helps Wanda in preparing dinner for Vision’s boss.
It is during the dinner scene of WandaVision when the lead couple are asked about their past life, where they fail to recall the events that brought them here. This is the first clue for the audience that all is not what it seems. The episode ends with a 1950 Sitcom Style End Credits, but we pan to color from black & white, see someone in the present time watching all the events unfold on a vintage Television Set.
The next episode of WandaVision opens in the 60s with the couple going through the motions of their new life in the Westview and participating in a talent hunt meant for the children. This episode is loaded with close calls, chaos, and a town putting up a talent hunt for the benefit of children who don’t seem to exist. The episode ends with a scene where Wanda resets reality and immediately has a protruding baby bump, making the audience that much more intrigued and confused.
Time moves fast in Westview of WandaVision, with the third episode set in the 70s, and Wanda delivering twins Tommy & Billy. Till this point in time, the events of the series will confuse you. It will feel unlike any content you expected to happen in the MCU, and you will ask yourself as to how WandaVision’s sitcom reality paves the way for Marvel’s new phase. All these questions will be answered at the end of episode three, where we get in touch with reality and the non-sitcom Wanda Maximoff.
As expected, each episode of the WandaVision Sitcom is moving up a decade, and many homages are paid to real-life sitcoms. However, one person who rises above this sitcom reality is Wanda’s nosy neighbor Agnes, who remains unfazed by Wanda’s magic, her superfast pregnancy, and erratically growing up children. Vision seems to question this reality and is suspicious that Wanda is controlling the residents of Westview to fit into her desires.
Outside the sitcom, in the real world of WandaVision, we see a S.W.O.R.D. setup, with Captain Monica Rambeau (Captain Marvel), Jimmy Woo (Ant-Man & the WASP), Dr. Darcy Lewis (Thor) decoding this sitcom-inspired life that Wanda has created using her powers. Marvel at its cinematic best, pieces in the events after the Blip (Avengers: Endgame) and puts it in perspective that the events of WandaVision take place roughly three-four weeks after the events of Avengers: Endgame.
This back and forth to sitcom and reality, following the events of episode five, puts the audience right back on edge with anticipation of what is going to happen next? It is the penultimate episode, which goes into detail and gets us in touch with how this static hexagonal CMBR field around the town of Westview came to be. The finale brings to life, two every contrasting battle are a fitting climax to the way this series has panned out.
With attention to detail on each decade, the Easter eggs in each episode, and homages to the events of the past, WandaVision does not disappoint. Honestly, when the Phase four lineup was released, we didn’t expect much from this series and were skeptical about how the creators will develop the series, keeping the momentum running after Endgame, but we were wrong.
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Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff is brilliant. Her portrayal is raw and will pull at your heartstrings. The way she effortlessly transitions from sitcom Wanda to real-life Wanda says a lot about the effort put in by Olsen in the character development. Much isn’t known about Wanda and her past, but we all live it through her eyes, making it the most emotional and heart-wrenching sequence developed by Marvel.
Paul Bettany’s The Vision also hits the mark with his acting chops. His performance is honest, and we feel the turmoil his character is going through to selflessly save an entire town from his wife’s manipulation. After the events in Age of Ultron, we see Vision tell Wanda ‘What is grief, if not love persevering?,’ which turns out to be the most impactful dialogue of the series. Grief and Loss are the emotions that WandaVision deals with, and the same is portrayed beautifully by both titular characters.
Coming to the show’s most predictable yet shocking surprise, (Ag)atha Hark(ness) portrayed by Kathryn Hahn. In the sitcom life, she is the adorable nosy neighbor who always comes to Wanda’s aid but all hell breaks loose and minds start to spin when she breaks the fourth wall in episode five.
Marvel geeks, like ourselves, were dead sure that she was not just a nosy neighbor but Wanda’s nemesis/mentor Agatha Harkness as mentioned in the comics. However, the shock value when she reveals her true identity in episode seven, with a killer song, is still high. Hahn has performed some of her best work yet in this series. Her portrayal of Agnes being creepy and annoying to Agatha being downright terrifying, dark, and a monster for killing Sparky is worth a big round of applause. Her character will downright unsettle you, and that’s what makes her an amazing actor.
Teyonah Parris, Randall Park, and Kat Dennings are Marvel’s new trio which the audience is rooting for. They do have limited screen-time but are the actual reasons why the show is moving forward. All three characters feel close to the audience since they too, like us, are piecing together what exactly is happening in the hex and who is behind it all. We also get a glimpse of Monica turning into (maybe) Photon, but let’s wait to see what shoes she get to fill.
Darcy’s character is hands-down the most authentic, her sarcasm is what will get you through confusing moments, and itâ’s her assessment that breaks down the evil plan brewing in S.W.O.R.D. Jimmy Woo has finally learned the card trick, and we hope to see more of him in future Marvel outings.
You can see the shift in the tone of filmmaking and story development in this series as compared to their previous attempted show of Agents of Shield. WandaVision embraces darkness and grief, and it doesn’t sugarcoat emotions. Every Friday, we were glued to the television sets and discussing all possible scenarios once the episode ended.
Also Read: Best Marvel Movies in Phase 3 of MCU
It is not surprising that WandaVision is Disney+ most watched and successful release, with the portal even crashing once. There are definitely many unanswered questions after the finale, which this phase will deal with in time and we most definitely are gonna have some WandaVision withdrawals, but here’s looking at you Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Watch the series on Disney+ Hotstar here.
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