When Marvel Studios revealed that it would create a handful of new TV series for Disney+ that would tie into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), I was excited about all of them. We live in the streaming era where stories are more popular and better told using television. Even if you do not believe that to be true, you cannot deny the power of television and the streaming services that come with it.
Disney+ gives Marvel a chance at glory within the streaming world and each show that has been announced has looked intriguing for different reasons. However, one stands apart from the rest in terms of the impact it can make on the greater Marvel Cinematic Universe. That show is “WandaVision.”
Set to debut in December of 2020, “WandaVision” will see the return of Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany as they reprise their roles of “Scarlett Watch” and “Vision” respectively. The scripts were helmed by Jac Shaeffer, who also wrote the recently delayed “Black Widow” film and is directed by Matt Shakman.
“WandaVision” is a direct sequel to the events of “Infinity War” and “Endgame” and marks the return of a few other characters from the MCU. Teyonah Parris plays a now older Monica Rambeau and Kat Dennings plays Darcy Lewis of Thor.
Yet, scripts, directors, actors and characters are not why this series could be so monumental to the rest of the MCU. The story will do that on its own.
Although I have enjoyed watching Elizabeth Olsen portray Wanda Maximoff within the MCU thus far, we have only seen a fraction of what she is capable of. Beyond being a great actress, this character has not seen even a glimpse of her full potential.
For those of you who do not know, “Scarlett Witch” is one of the most powerful characters within Marvel comics. We have witnessed some of her abilities in the movies but beyond manipulating minds and her sorcery powers, she possesses the power to warp reality. That is where this story comes in.
In the comics, Wanda becomes possessed with her need to create a perfect reality for herself. She wanted to make a perfect world happen alongside Vision whom she loved and did not quite care of the consequences that come with it. This upsets characters and causes issues with none other than Doctor Strange.
I had hoped this show would essentially bring to life these storylines and every indication is pointing towards that being the case. It has already been officially announced that the events of this show tie in directly to the Doctor Strange sequel titled “In the Multiverse of Madness.”
With Disney’s recent purchase of 20th Century Fox, many are curious as to how the X-Men and Fantastic Four may be brought into the fold. The storyline could be a direct avenue for how they do it. The Multiverse allows for different worlds and dimensions to cross paths which essentially could be the key to explaining how Mutants exist in this Universe.
Beyond world building, character opportunities and different dimensions, time warping could also be at play. Somehow, Wanda brings Vision back from the dead to play apart in this series. We are going to learn how she does this and whether this will affect both the current timeline and how we view other characters’ deaths.
So, in essence, “WandaVision” is not just another fun show in which Wanda and Vision pretend to be suburban parents together. It is as Paul Bettany describes, “completely bonkers.” We are in for a wild ride that could change everything we know about worlds, characters, time and events within the MCU as we currently know it. I hope everybody else is just as excited as I am.