WandaVision, Marvel’s first series streaming on Disney+, ended a week ago today and it was worlds different from anything they have previously done. Regardless of the fact that it was their first series that will tie directly into the events of the MCU and upcoming movies, WandaVision’s structure as a sitcom was entirely new for Marvel, and it worked stunningly well. The combination of nostalgia from old shows and the slow rise to action in the show was done extremely well and kept watchers, including myself, glued to the television every Friday night.
The series certainly initiated with a slow, less action-packed start, yet this is exactly what I expected with how the show was set up to be. With the first episodes being based on early sitcoms, there wasn’t an expectation, at least from me, for this show to begin with big action like we often see in MCU movies. It held a basic 50s, 60s, 70s minor problem that needed to be solved arc, with a collection of off things occurring throughout these episodes.
Episode four is where we get thrown back into the Marvel world that we have come to know over this past decade, taking a break from the sitcom WandaVision to learn a bit of what is going on outside of the bubble of Westview. And from here on out everything begins to pick up a bit as we switch back and forth between watching our favorite sitcoms like “Malcolm in the Middle” and “Modern Family” and watching what appears more like a typical Marvel movie.
This slow rise into the action-packed MCU we all know and love was a perfect way to format WandaVision and it was something extremely unique. Marvel is known for pushing the boundaries and WandaVision was no exception to this.
In addition to the comedy and the action seen in the show, WandaVision also dealt with some powerful issues such as Wanda’s grief and love for Vision and her eventual children. This wasn’t a typical evil versus good arc that the MCU typically follows, it was more of a story of grief and how much difficulty it can cause. I mean, there wasn’t even really a villain in this show — at least I don’t count Agatha as a true villain. Wanda being revealed as the Scarlet Witch — a tidbit of information that anyone with Marvel comic knowledge already knew, but had yet to be introduced into the MCU — allowed for Agatha to be a “villain” that was simply looking out for the good of the world and set up for further issues to come in regards to Wanda.
The reveal of Wanda as the Scarlet Witch and the idea that this person will bring destruction to the world leaves a perfect getaway to lead into Dr. Strange and the Multiverse — the movie WandaVision is supposed to leave right into. And with there being some sort of setup for Dr. Strange, overall, the show did a good job wrapping up the plotline and not leaving us suspended and waiting for the next Dr. Strange to be released.
In typical MCU fashion, WandaVision pushed the boundaries of what we expect from superhero shows and soundly set up the MCU to do well introducing more series to Disney+. Thankfully, where my Fridays used to be consumed by watching the latest release of WandaVision — and always loving it — Falcon and the Winter Soldier will be taking its place starting next Friday and I simply can’t wait where the set up from WandaVision sends the MCU!