This Review Is SPOILER FREE
WandaVision is one hell of a gamble for Disney and Marvel. Not only is it the first post-2020 look that we have at anything Marvel, but it’s the first of many streaming series for Disney+. If this one fails, it’s going to be a lot harder for them to draw attention to the rest of the shows. In a similar vein to The Mandalorian, this one had to be a big hit. Luckily for Marvel, WandaVision hits the mark across the board.
For the uninitiated, WandaVision stars Elizabeth Olsen as Scarlet Witch/Wanda Maximoff and Paul Bettany as Vision. This is a post-Avengers: Endgame world, so we don’t know too much about what brought us to this place. But the premise is that Wanda and Vision are somehow back together after the events of Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame. So let’s go through what we do know and what we don’t know from the first two episodes.
Wanda Has Created Some New World Involving Classic TV
From the trailers for the show, the “gimmick” was that it’s focused around classic TV shows. The first two episodes go into the 50’s and 60’s brand of TV like I Love Lucy and Leave It To Beaver. So in between the various tonal shifts and throwbacks to that era, you’re still getting the classic Marvel brand. Kevin Feige said in an interview that the show would not be parodying these shows though. That’s 100% the case. WandaVision‘s first two episodes pay homage to that classic era of television, but they don’t outright spoof them or poke fun. It’s a fine line that writer Jac Shaeffer, director Matt Shakman, and the rest of Marvel Studios had to balance.
Throughout the two episodes, you’re given subtle clues as to what’s actually happening. There’s no indication of what’s the cause, but it’s a huge indicator that this world that Wanda and Vision are in, is not what it seems.
Everything Is Not What It Seems, Is The Theme Of The Show
You’re definitely going to want to rewatch this one after the whole season is through. There are details hidden everywhere. The attention to detail on the show going down to the use of actual 50’s era television techniques is apparent. When Wanda is making pots and pans fly around the kitchen, they’re attached to wires and pulleys. There was an actual (I’m assuming NDA’ed out the wazoo) live studio audience for the show.
Through all of the first two episodes, the feeling of something bubbling under the surface is imminently apparent. I’m very glad that they decided to run the first two episodes together, because the first episode is incredibly strange. It’s not certain what the show is about, but by the time you get to the second episode, the intrigue is there. You’re going to want more and see where the twists and turns of the show lead you.
It Would Have Been Easy For Marvel To Lead With Something Else
Marvel could have easily led this new era of Disney+ series out with Falcon and The Winter Soldier. Not to disparage that show, but it’s likely going to be a more typical Marvel romp. WandaVision is not your typical Marvel affair at all. The show is strange, weird, and it keeps you captivated even after it’s done. You’ll be thinking about this show for long after you finish watching the first two episodes, pondering what could be the motivation for the whole thing.
Paul Bettany and Elizabeth Olsen fill their roles admirably and without the air of parody that you would think. Bettany, in particular, shines as a character that doesn’t quite know why he’s where he is. The rest of the cast are fully invested with the whole gimmick of the show. They play their roles with that 50’s charm but with something eerie on the inside that you can’t quite place.
I Cannot Wait For More WandaVision
Thankfully Marvel chose WandaVision as their flagship for the new Disney+ era. It’s flashy, mysterious, and by the time you’re done, you’ll be begging for more. For a show that’s going to carry the entire weight of the Marvel absence in 2020, the show does that and more. It’s not your normal type of Marvel show, but that’s for the best. WandaVision is your new standard bearer going forward. The first two episodes are fantastic and I cannot wait to see where the show goes from here.
So, what do you think of WandaVision?
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