Listen Here
By: Collin Frazier
frazierc@findlay.edu
@Collin_53
Put on your goggles: The MCU makes its grand return with “WandaVision”
With the last Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) picture being released back in July 2019 with “Spiderman: Far From Home.” Needless to say, I’ve been patiently waiting for the MCU to finally make its return to home media, which would’ve been sooner if it wasn’t for a certain virus ruining everyone’s 2020. However, the MCU is finally back with its most recent release “WandaVision,” which was released on Disney+ Jan. 15. Focusing on Wanda Maximoff (AKA Scarlet Witch) and Vision after the events of “Avengers: Endgame,” we find that the two have settled down into married life and are enjoying every minute of it. But not everything is what it seems in this paradise.
WARNING: If you haven’t watched the first four episodes or have any knowledge of Marvel comics, consider this your spoiler alert.
What sets this apart from other shows is that every episode is a tribute to glory days of television. The first episode is a tribute to “The Dick Van Dyke” show, the second pays homage to “Bewitched,” and third gives tribute to “The Brady Bunch.” The watching experience is very unique—the feel for each episode is different. You can also see how television evolved every decade since the 1950’s.
Furthermore, the entire cast, regardless of the decade, gives life to the show. Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany as Wanda and Vision pick up right where they left off in “Avengers: Infinity War.” The duo truly do care about each other and only want to have a normal life in the town of Westview. That doesn’t take away from the supporting cast, however. Kathryn Hahn is mystifying as Agnes, Wanda and Vision’s neighbor. She gives a vibe that she’s more than she appears to be and I want to know more about her.
This show also does a great job flushing out already existing characters. Kat Dennings as Darcy Lewis no longer feels like some pointless side character but an important piece of the puzzle; Randall Park as Jimmy Woo provides even more laughs, adding that he can finally do the magic card tricks from “Ant-Man and the Wasp!” Kudos to Kevin Fiege for introducing new and giving more background behind old characters.
What sets this apart from most MCU films is how layered this show is. Just when you think you know what’s happening, boom, another revelation. Episode four did a great job not only explaining the weird situations in the first three episodes, but also introduces another big player in the future of the MCU, the Sentient Weapon Observation and Response Division, better known as SWORD.
For those unaware, SWORD is essentially SHIELD but for outer space. This means that the MCU is finally getting cosmic, beyond the “Guardians of The Galaxy.” Not only that, but episode four nearly confirms the idea of what reality Wanda and Vision are living in that I thought of. In the Marvel Comics, Vision also dies. Wanda eventually has a mental breakdown from the grief and creates a reality where Vision is still alive and they have a family, which is also occurring in the show. If this keeps up, then I will be interested in how Marvel handles the grieving process. Only time will tell.
To say that my expectations for the MCU’s return were blown away is an understatement. I cannot believe just how many layers there are to this show, and I am only excited to see where it goes next. If you haven’t started this on Disney+ yet, what are you doing?! (Unless you’re not caught up in the MCU). My final rating for the first four episodes of WandaVision is a 94/100.
Featured photo courtesy of IMDB.
