The battle lines are drawn, and a face-off is imminent as Wanda Maximoff (Elizbeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany), have to face off against the powers of Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn) and White Vision, in order to save their family and their home of Westview.

Right from the start ‘Episode 9’ of WandaVision, ‘The Series Finale’ starts with a BANG, and the action mounts up quickly as Wanda and Vision have to face off in a full-on fight with both Agatha Harkness and White Vision. While director Matt Shankman has teased out his ability for filming action throughout the series, he really goes for it here as a director, and the result is a full-on magical, witch-android battle that fills up the screen with plenty of heavy hits. Shankman keeps the energy exciting, and it’s a hell of a lot of fun to see that the chain has been taken off of Wanda and Vision, two of the Avenger’s most powerful characters, and their powers lead to some pretty exhilarating moments within ‘The Series Finale’.

Stepping up to the line and putting her guard up is Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff, and this episode is a very big moment for her. Over the events of the previous eight episodes, and a multitude of story arcs that have been seen in decades of past television sitcoms, Wanda has come a long way as a character. Whether it be as a wife, a mother and now in ‘The Series Finale’ a witch and sorcerer, we’ve seen considerable growth in her character, and her rising above the pain, anger and depression that have trapped her for so long. Her actions in ‘The Series Finale’ are those of a woman accepting her destiny and her power, and it’s exciting to see her unleash the magnitude of her powers.

While there’s considerable action that Wanda takes part in during ‘The Series Finale’, including a no-holds-barred witch fight between Wanda and Agatha, it’s Olsen’s performance when connected to the growth of her character that really grabs the audience’s attention. That growth can be surmised as Olsen moving from the character of Wanda Maximoff into that of The Scarlet Witch, a fabled magical deity with powers that trump those of the Sorcerer Supreme himself. And this transformation for Olsen really shakes up the future possibilities of the MCU. Throughout this series, Olsen has brought considerable depth to Wanda Maximoff, and we’ve grown to love her as a character even more as an audience, and in ‘The Series Finale’ we find her at both her most powerful and her most human. And this expression of her character is an absolute tribute to Olsen’s performance.

Alongside Olsen’s performance in ‘The Series Finale’, actor Paul Bettany also has a considerable presence in the episode in what can only be described as ‘a meeting of The Visions’. Facing off against his ‘new self’, the duel between Vision and White Vision, is intense, calculating and philosophical in nature, and leads to some very interesting insights for fans of the character, alongside just where he sits inside the MCU. Like Olsen, Bettany has gone through a lot in this series as this character, and he’s brought his A-game to every single episode of the series to date. In ‘The Series Finale’ we find out what the events of this series have ultimately meant to Vision, and it’s an eye-opening revelation for audiences.

While the action and special effects of ‘The Series Finale’ are impressive and certainly grab your attention as a viewer, its essentially the series love story that fully wraps you up in the events presented. All along WandaVision has been about the love story of a woman and the android she turned into a man. Throughout this series, we’ve seen these two characters grow together through marriage, the creation of a home and the making of a family, and the joy it has given them, and this episode is really focused on the love that is shared between these two characters. There’s a lot of emotion on display in ‘The Series Finale’, and the most heartfelt moments come from those shared by Wanda and Vision in this episode.

In relation to Wanda’s appearance as the Scarlet Witch, it is hard to say anything, without running the risk of spoilers. But we will say that Wanda’s transformation into this legendary Marvel character will take the audiences’ breathe away. Design, performance and special effects are all rendered perfectly in the translation of the Scarlet Witch from the pages of Marvel comics to the fully actualised presence of the MCU, and your heart will race a whole lot faster after you see her powers brought to life. Added to this is the punk-rock, goth edge that Olsen also brings to the character and the Scarlet Witch is definitely going to be an unpredictable presence within the MCU. Added to this are a few Easter Eggs placed throughout the episode, and well, let’s just say things are about to get interesting for the MCU going forward.

‘The Series Finale’ brings a complete conclusion to WandaVision….but there are some very bittersweet moments to this ending. Mostly this lies with the emotions of Wanda letting go of her past self and the life she built for herself inside of Westview, and the acceptance of her new life as the Scarlet Witch. The emotions get heavy, and the closing moments of this episode nearly had us in tears due to the conviction of Olsen and Bettany’s performances. The final moments of this episode were ultimately the right way to bring this narrative to a conclusion and you felt the power of this story upon its completion. Plus it also wouldn’t be Marvel without a post-credit scene….and on this, all we’ll say is BRING ON THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS.

WandaVision has shaken up the MCU right from the start, and it leaves it in a very exciting place going forward. While the events of our own reality have made things difficult over the past year, a show like WandaVision offered the perfect escape and the resulting presentation is a tribute to everyone involved in bringing this fantastic series to life. Where we go next is anyone’s guess, but things are about to get even more exciting within the MCU…and Wanda Maximoff aka The Scarlet Witch will be there to take us along for the ride.

WandaVision is available to stream on Disney+

Image: Walt Disney Pictures

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Following the shock ending of ‘All-New Halloween Spooktacular’ where Wanda got a tad overwhelmed and the Westview Anomaly, better known as The Hex, went completely haywire, Wanda has been left exhausted….and is in need of a much-needed break. But while Wanda lounges around the house and tries to relax, Vision is now back to his regular self and is starting to piece back his past with some startling revelations.

We’ve entered the mid-2010’s now and director Matt Shankman shifts the tone of WandaVision to that of the mockumentary family-sitcom style of Modern Family, with Wanda coming to terms with the events of the last six episodes and here she begins to reflect on them. The style and comedy of the mockumentary family-sitcom plays well in Shankman’s hands and he has a lot of fun with a series of ‘new’ cast members who have entered the suburbia of Westview, and we get to see these characters in a brand new light. Shankman’s use of quirky comedy keeps things interesting and it’s great to see a modern flavour of TV comedy injected into WandaVision.

Elizabeth Olsen’s Wanda Maximoff has been through a lot over the course of WandaVision. Whether it was cementing her love for Vision, building a home, raising a family or reuniting with her beloved brother Pietro, she’s been at the forefront of the show and has had to deal with a lot. There’s also her stance and protection of her ‘dream life’ and this aggression and anger have taken a serious toll on her and we now find her exhausted and a little bit shook up.

The unique style and progression of ‘Breaking the Fourth Wall‘ allow Wanda to sit back and come to terms with who she now is, and for the first time we get to see her directly speak to her audience. Olsen does a terrific job of making Wanda vulnerable in ‘Breaking the Fourth Wall’ and there’s a real honesty to her performance in this episode. It’s also a refreshing point-of-view for the character as we see the toll of her powers on her and this has definitely left Westview on the fritz. Olsen really clarifies Wanda’s own perspective in this episode and audiences get an idea of what she’s really been going through which is something we haven’t seen before.

‘Breaking the Fourth Wall’ is also the first time that we haven’t seen Wanda and Vision together in an episode of WandaVision, and just as Wanda is dealing with her own issues, so is Paul Bettany’s Vision. Stuck together with a new friend, Vision undergoes a bit of a depth analysis to understand just where he came from and how he came to be here. The revelations make him sit-up and take notice, and Bettany strikes a terrific balance in the classic dramedy styling of the mockumentary family-sitcom style.

Also stepping up this episode is Kathryn Hahn’s Agnes, Wanda’s default best-friend and nosey neighbour who can’t stay out of her life. And there are some startling revelations for her here. Like Wanda, the audience gets to see Agnes point-of-view for the first time and it’s interesting to see a third party comment on the nature of Wanda’s life, especially someone from within the ‘series’ itself. Hahn gets to steal the show in ‘Breaking the Fourth Wall’ and fans will be wide eyed at the performance that she gives with this one.

While I don’t want to slide into any kind of spoilers in this episode, I will say that ‘Breaking the Fourth Wall’ takes a shocking turn in its final moments and boils over with a dark and menacing tension. Everything has so far been a blissful escape for Wanda, but this surprise is about to flip the series on its head entirely. Something witchy is in the air, and in these final moments, we get to see what I can only surmise as the first moments of connectivity between WandaVision and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. And this revelation is going to make things very interesting in the next episode.

We’re we go to next in WandaVision after such a dramatic turn in the events of ‘Breaking the Fourth Wall’ is anyone’s guess, but we’re now firmly on the edge of our seats with this one.

WandaVision streams every Friday night on Disney+.

Image: Walt Disney Pictures

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It’s Halloween time in Westview and Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen), Vision (Paul Bettany), their twin sons Tommy and Billy, along with newly arrived Uncle Pietro (Evan Peters), are ready to have some fun and partake in the enjoyment of costumes and candy….along with a few super-powered pranks courtesy of Uncle Pietro. But Vision’s curiosity has been getting the better of him lately, and while Wanda and Pietro reminisce about their childhood and upbringing in Sokovia, Vision strives to learn about the extent of Wanda’s control over Westview. And there are some dark truths that he uncovers here.

In ‘Episode 6’ ‘All-New Halloween Spooktacular!’, director Matt Shankman takes audiences back to the early-2000s and this brings back plenty of nostalgia for audiences, particularly of my generation. Placing his audience back in the whimsy and outlandish fun of shows such as Malcolm in the Middle, Sabrina The Teenage Witch and Maybe It’s Me is a real joy to watch and provides a slightly goofy-fun loving vibe to this week’s episode. As an audience member, it’s a hell of a lot of fun to see this decade of television interpreted through the filter of WandaVision and Shankman and his team do an amazing job of bringing this decade of TV back to life.

Family is very much the central focus of ‘All-New Halloween Spooktacular!’, and after the shocking revelation, return and ‘re-casting’ of Pietro Maximoff (Evan Peters), this week’s episode dials it back to the brother-sister relationship that Pietro and Wanda shared together. While we always knew they were close, this episode really dissects Wanda’s current state-of-mind through Pietro’s history with her and there are some tantalizingly fun insights into their shared relationship and how their past lives, in a pre-Westview Anamoly world, shaped them into the characters we know. Both Elizabeth Olsen and the newly ‘re-cast’ Evan Peters work well together and you completely buy into their relationship as siblings here.

Speaking of Evan Peters, it is very fun to see him ‘re-cast’ as Pietro Maximoff, and jumping from one Marvel Universe to the next, in a move that I’m sure will have major effects for the rest of the MCU down the line (oh the possibilities!). Here in ‘All-New Halloween Spooktacular!’ he’s your typical out-of-control man child, who riles up his sister and brother-in-law and becomes something of a personal hero to Tommy and Billy. What’s really interesting though is that Pietro understands just where he fits into the ‘narrative’ of this episode, and he gets a tad testy with Wanda, which she really doesn’t appreciate. As a fan, it’s fun to see Pietro back in action, and Peters leaves a solid mark on the MCU with his performance.

Also, key to ‘All-New Halloween Spooktacular!’ are Wanda and Vision’s twin-boys Tommy and Billy, who also start to assert their powers in this episode as Speed and Wiccan. We’ve never seen kids in the MCU possess superpowers before, and these young roustabouts, with the aid of their uncle, get up to a lot of mischief, and this cements you into the Malcolm in the Middle-esque vibe that this episode is gunning for. But all fun aside, these two characters have a massive dramatic moment within the episode, and I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of them to come in future instalments of the MCU.

While not wanting to run the risk of spoilers, we will walk around Paul Bettany’s appearance as Vision in this episode, except to say that he’s starting to figure things out, and he doesn’t like what he sees. While there is plenty of fun, laughter and light-heartedness in this episode on behalf of Shankman’s direction, and which keeps it in line with it’s early-2000s family sitcom style, there’s also a growing darkness too. From a very telling ‘advertisement’ to audiences travelling to previously unexplored areas of Westview, something is incredibly wrong here, and I feel like this is only going to intensify further in coming episodes.

From a visual standpoint there is so much to love in ‘All-New Halloween Spooktacular!’ and part of the fun of this episode is ‘comic accurate’ costumes. It’s Halloween after all and what’s better than dressing up as a superhero! While Wanda dresses up in a vintage ‘Scarlet Witch’ looks that makes her look like ‘old Red Riding Hood’ to Vision’s Lucha libre inspired green and yellow spandex and cape getup, to Pietro’s wildly impractical stand-up hair, it’s clear why some designs didn’t make it into the MCU until now. But it’s all in good fun, and seeing these characters in their vintage outfits is sure to put a smile on your face and I definitely got a kick out of it.

‘All-New Halloween Spooktacular!’ is by far the best episode of WandaVision to date and I loved the nostalgia, visual layout and storytelling of this episode. WandaVision just keeps getting more interesting by the minute, and I can’t wait to see what comes next.

WandaVision streams every Friday night on Disney+.

Image: Walt Disney Pictures

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In ‘Episode 5’, ‘On A Very Special Episode…’, Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) are now living the perfect 1980s suburban life with a beautiful young family, and life appears to be nothing but bliss in Westview. But outside the Westview Anomaly, nickname The Hex, Captain Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris), Jimmy Woo (Randall Park) and Dr. Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings) are trying everything they can to reach Wanda in order to avoid a catastrophe. But best-laid plans soon turn messy…

Since taking a breather with ‘Episode 4’, ‘We Interrupt This Program’, it’s fun to return to the streets of Westview in this episode of WandaVision, and both Wanda and Vision have to adapt to parenthood very quickly. Mostly due to the fact that their twin boys, Tommy and Billy, are on an out of control growth spurt, and even Wanda’s own magic can’t tame them. Director Matt Shankman brings together quintessential American 1980s values to ‘Episode 5’ and draws his inspiration from hit 1980s sitcom Family Ties in showcasing Wanda and Vision’s growing suburban family life.

But things are far from perfect in Westview and Wanda’s dream life, which has already been showing to start fraying at the edges, is now beginning to show some very sizeable cracks. Shankman illustrates this via the disruption of WandaVision’s broadcast’, and the breaks from ‘her show’s’ continuity as Westview residents, including nosey neighbour Agnes (Kathryn Hahn), have to redo their lines and start over from scratch. It’s a very interesting choice on behalf of Shankman to showcase the disruption of Wanda’s fantasy, and his direction of this episode keeps things interesting.

While we learnt in last week’s episode of WandaVision, ‘We Interrupt This Program’, that Wanda was firmly in control of this fantasy, in ‘On A Very Special Episode…’ she very much takes control of the situation and out and out confirms that this is HER fantasy and no one is going to interfere with it. Shankman spins audiences feelings for Wanda and teases out a darkness and madness that we’ve never seen in her before. This dark, aggressive side of Wanda is mirrored by her insistence on keeping her family together, and Shankman really plays with the emotions of his audience in ‘On A Very Special Episode…’.

While for the most part, Elizabeth Olsen’s Wanda has been the driving force behind WandaVision for the past four-episodes, Paul Bettany takes centre screen in this episode, and Vision is very aware that nothing makes sense in his and Wanda’s Westview life. Bettany’s Vision gets very serious in this episode, and the complexity of his sitcom life, which defies all logic, makes him incredibly unstable. ‘On A Very Special Episode…’ is the first time in WandaVision that we’ve seen some very real tension exist in this show and the first time that we’ve seen both Wanda and Vision clash. It’s evident that the fantasy of WandaVision is starting to take a toll on our characters and this is only likely to intensify as we move forward with the series.

While tensions mount and Wanda’s dream life starts to be questioned, ‘Episode 5′ ‘On A Very Special Episode…’ also features a shocking guest appearance in the episode’s closing moments which is sure to make audiences sit-up! While not wanting to go into spoilers for those who still haven’t seen it, this moment has plenty of dramatic tension not just for Wanda, but has turned the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe around in a single moment. Exciting and exhilarating possibilities now lie ahead, and the MCU is about to become a very different place going forward.

WandaVision ‘Episode 5’ ‘On A Very Special Episode…’ is a complete and utter game-changer and features the biggest single shocking moment since the reveal of Thanos in 2012’s The Avengers. Where we go to next is anyone’s guess, but one thing for sure is that everything has now changed.

WandaVision streams every Friday night on Disney+.

Image: Walt Disney Pictures

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While Wanda Maximoff (Elizbeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) might be living the perfect American sitcom life inside the town of Westview, outside everything else is going slightly haywire and the sudden disappearance of an entire town and populace calls in the joint forces of both the FBI and clandestine secret service S.W.O.R.D looking for answers.

Having made her first appearance in ‘Episode 2’, ‘Don’t Touch That Dial’, the truth behind Teyonah Parris’ Geraldine is now made clear in that she is actually Captain Monica Rambeau, Agent of S.W.O.R.D or Sentient Weapon Observation and Response Division, who is called upon to investigate the Westview anomaly. Audiences are introduced to Monica in the immediate aftermath of the reversal of ‘the blip’, and her sudden re-appearance captures the frightening urgency of this freakish phenomenon and it certainly makes you sit-up. Now living in a changing world, Monica is sent in to investigate the Westview anomaly and is soon drawn inside this strange phenomenon.

Alongside gaining a clearer look into Parris’ Rambeau, audiences are re-introduced to previous MCU characters, including FBI Agent Jimmy Woo (Randall Park), and now Dr. Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings), who since the events of Thor: The Dark World has now become a well-respected astrophysicist. Series director Matt Shankman uses these three characters to follow the events of WandaVision in real-time, and there are many call-backs to the three previous events of the series. And like the audience, the characters of Rambeau, Woo and Lewis all find themselves invested into the on-going narrative of WandaVision.

While questions of reality and illusion have bounced back and forth all through the previous three episodes of WandaVision, ‘Episode 4’, ‘We Interrupt This Program’, firmly establishes that this sitcom fantasy of WandaVision, is Wanda Maximoff’s creation….and she ain’t letting go of it. While Elizabeth Olsen really only makes a background appearance in this episode, it’s clear to audiences that she is in fact not the bubbly, happy-go-lucky mother and housemaker we’ve come to see, but a rather more damaged and psychologically conflicted character whose power are on the fritz, and who is now a very real dangerous entity.

‘We Interrupt This Program’ definitely raises the stakes for what comes next in WandaVision, and there’s a danger and uncertainness that we can feel building in the coming episodes. Brace yourselves because the Marvel Cinematic Universe is about to be shaken up.

WandaVision streams every Friday night on Disney+.

Image: Walt Disney Pictures

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After a surprising twist at the end of ‘Episode 2’, we now find Wanda and Vision in the fun, hip and colourful 1970s and baby fever is in the air as a very pregnant Wanda gets very into nesting and awaiting the arrival of her first child. But this happy event is not without its difficulties and the surreal nature of Wanda’s path to motherhood has the residents of Westview secretly wondering what is really going on…

In ‘Episode 3’, director Matt Shankman takes audiences back to the 1970s and the cheesy-chirpy family sitcom stylings of The Brady Bunch, and he really goes to town with the visuals in this episode. Embracing the decade’s flamboyant colours and style, ‘Episode 3’ of WandaVision is bright, joyous and completely chipper and those familiar with The Brady Bunch will find themselves fitting right at home. Featuring the classic bubblegum and Modernism design complete with wood finished floating staircase and orange Formica kitchen counters, audiences will be at home in this episode.

Shankman uses his audience’s knowledge and expectation of The Brady Bunch’s style to playout plenty of interesting comedy in ‘Episode 3’ of WandaVision and the shows surrealism takes an interesting turn thanks to the set design and psychedelia of the era. The way in which Shankman continues to build out the narrative, both in terms of dealing with Wanda’s impending pregnancy, and the series overall mythology, makes ‘Episode 3’ of WandaVision my favourite episode to date. I was very impressed how he used the decade’s stylistic comedy to play out the ongoing surrealism of the show, and it was very fun to see the creativity of Shankman and his team on display in this episode.

‘Episode 3’ is an event level episode for Wanda and there are considerable changes in store for her as she’s expecting and the joys of motherhood await. In an event that is played out for laughs, Wanda experiences the full 9-month miracle of pregnancy in a single day, and the result is full-blown hilarity. This is especially true when she hits the third trimester, and her labour pains send her powers into haywire, causing trouble not only for Vision and herself but also all the other residents of Westview. Elizabeth Olsen flourishes in the flower power decade of the 1970s and her free-flowing collection of psychedelic print dresses, in addition to her long-flowing hair, only add to the care-free state of mind of pure bliss that she’s currently enjoying as a mum to be.

But it wouldn’t be WandaVision without a few twists and turns and one of the most interesting comes in the form of Wanda’s good friend Geraldine, played by Teyonah Parris, who isn’t all she appears to be. While not wanting to run the risk of spoilers, we will say that Geraldine’s presence isn’t lost on any of the residents of Westview, and her appearance and actions in this episode are going to have larger ramifications for the series going forward.

‘Episode 3’ is my favourite episode of WandaVision to date, and Wanda and Vision’s journey through the groovy 1970s and the hilarity and mystery that they find themselves in is exciting to witness. I absolutely loved it and this episode certainly turns up the volume with the strange surrealism that is still yet to come.

WandaVision streams every Friday night on Disney+.

Image: Walt Disney Pictures 

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Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) are beginning to find their feet in the community of Westview. But a disturbance in the community finds Vision looking to join the neighbourhood watch, while Wanda busies herself with the local Talent Show. But when it’s curtain call a mistake could give our two outsiders away, and a little magic is needed to save the day.

Transitioning from the wholesome era of the 1950s to the hip groove of the early 1960s, we now find Wanda and Vision in an episode that is a fitting tribute to classic 1960s sitcom Bewitched. And in this episode, our characters are looking for any way to fit in. This new style of sitcom, along with a new decade, also leads to a complete overhaul of this second episode’s production, and director Matt Shankman focuses in a larger view of Westview and makes everything cozy, with an emphasis on appearance. It’s also fun to see our second episode of WandaVision grow outwards as our characters interact more with Westview as a community, and there’s plenty of hi-jinks for sure.

Episode 2 of WandaVision is important as we get to see Wanda and Vision interacting with a more steady stream of supporting characters, and this raises the stakes for whether or not they’ll actually be caught out this time. While Wanda falls in with the local women of the planning community, who have a very ‘Stepford Wives’ feeling to them, we also see her learning what it means to be normal, or at least trying to do so. But still, she can’t help but poke fun at the absurdity of the other characters around her. Gossip’s the only currency around town, and not just for Wanda, but Vision also falls in with the town’s husband’s and soon is a bit more worse for wear for doing so.

Olsen and Bettany make a fine couple in Episode 2 of WandaVision and are able to roll in the good-natured comedy that audiences can equate to Elizabeth Montgomery and Dick York. Shankman and his team also feed into Wanda’s status as a witch in this episode, and it’s fun to see her magical powers come to life in her pursuit of normality…and plenty of hilarity does ensue. This episode finds its heart in Wanda and Vision’s continued journey to build a home together, and even though they face their first real ‘marriage test’ in this episode both of them are stronger for it.

Episode 2 of WandaVision is also important in setting up the rhythms that we can expect from the show going forward, along with all other MCU based shows on Disney+. Its focus on a self-contained episode, that builds out a deeper and more overacting narrative is something that audiences will also appreciate. One thing that I loved about this episode, just like the first, was its use of ad breaks, and this innovative and narrative-driven use of product placement is sure to get audiences excited, along with having them ponder what is to come next.

We also get to see the theme of reality and illusion played out again in Episode 2 of WandaVision, and it’s clear that our characters our both in control of their fantasy, along with being controlled by it at the same time. While Wanda and Vision are blissfully happy in their ‘ideal world’, it certainly is not without its difficulties, and it’s only by the sudden appearance of their powers that things work themselves out more often than not. Wanda and Vision are very much still learning who they are, and it’s this conflict between reality and illusion where the tension is beginning to rise and I’m sure this will be explored in later episodes.

Things are getting interesting in the suburbs of Westview, and Episode 2 of WandaVision had plenty of quirks that audiences will love…along with a very big surprise that comes at a critical time in the episode and is sure to have big implications down the line. So you’d better keep watching to see what happens next.

WandaVision streams every Friday night on Disney+.

Image: Walt Disney Pictures

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In this first episode of WandaVision we find Wanda and Vision gripped by matrimonial bliss, as now newly married, they now embark on a life in the quiet suburban town of Westview. Walking right into a quintessential 1950s sitcom, Wanda and Vision meet their neighbours, and get into the swing of it, with Vision becoming a breadwinning company man, and Wanda attempting to live the life of a happy homemaker. But things soon get difficult when our newlyweds are forced into hosting an important dinner party and it’s there where things get quickly out of hand.

Taking its inspiration from the quintessential 1950s TV sitcom The Dick Van Dyke Show, Wanda and Vision are fully embraced the idea of post-war Eisenhower era suburbia, and Episode 1 effortlessly recreates this mood and feeling. From the charming, chiming opening credit song courtesy of Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez to the vintage Atomic-age set design to Wanda’s perfect fitting circular swing dresses that anoints her as the ‘perfect’ stay-at-home housewife. Make no mistake we’re back in America’s TV Golden age era here. Director Matt Shakman has a lot of fun in recreating the look and feel of this classic television age, and he heavily leans into the era’s tropes, along with their absurdity, and with the addition of a live-studio audience laugh track, you’ll sure to be getting giddy.

Finding themselves right in the middle of Westview, and the strange new world of suburbia are Wanda and Vision set the stage for WandaVision in this first episode, and its magical to see these two together again. In this first episode’s setting, Olsen is a pitch-perfect match for Mary Tyler Moore, while Bettany is the classic clutz of Dick Van Dyke, and each of them effortlessly brings the charm of this decade back to life. But it’s not without its struggles, that’s for sure. Domestic life doesn’t necessarily come easy to Wanda, and Vision’s computational structure also marks him out as an oddball, and the hi-jinks and laughs that occur will have audiences in stitches.

What’s really fun to see with this first episode of WandaVision is how Olsen and Bettany, along with Shankman’s direction, play into the production atmosphere of the classic 1950s sitcom. These are two genuine characters who find themselves in a completely different world, and both Wanda and Vision are a little bit lost with the quirks of the era, which include magazine articles on how ‘A Wife Should Properly Look After Her Husband’ to the possible ‘Red Scare’ that comes from Wanda’s status as a Sakovian immigrant. While this first episode both celebrates the decade’s quirks and lighthearted ‘ah shucks’ atmosphere, it also pokes fun at the farcical nature of the decade and makes for a real treat for audiences.

In addition to the return of Wanda and Vision, audiences are also introduced to a brand new character in the form of Kathryn Hahn’s Agnes. This very nosey neighbour pops up at the most unexpected of moments and quickly becomes Wanda’s self-appointed best friend and introduction to suburban life. Hahn has a lot of fun as this neighbourly nuisance, and its fun to see how she interacts with Olsen and Bettany. While we’re yet to understand the significance that she will play in upcoming episodes, she’s definitely a character that fans will want to keep an eye on.

While this first episode of WandaVision really strove to set-up the world that our characters now inhabit, we also saw the beginning of some newfound character development for both Wanda and Vision. Themes of identity and reality begin to seep their way into this first episode, especially with Wanda and Vision being the new couple on the block ‘who don’t quite fit in’. And then, of course, their powers also get them into a whole heap of trouble as well. While it’s early days yet, and things are certainly not as they seem, I think we’re only at the beginning of some large scale character growth for Wanda and Vision and this is going to be incredibly interesting for long time Marvel fans.

Episode One of WandaVision is a sweet and heartfelt nod back to America’s first-ever decade of the television sitcom, and it delivers plenty of humour and a whole heap of surprises. It’s a fine place to start, and wonderful to see these two characters finding themselves in a new world, and completely in love….but we have a feeling that it’s going to get a lot more interesting from here.

WandaVision streams every Friday night on Disney+.

Image: Walt Disney Pictures

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A brand new TV spot has just been released and it promises a zany, and quirky theme song that is sure to get you in the grove for the first episode. Check it out below:

Here’s the official synopsis:

WandaVision is a blend of classic television and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in which Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany)—two super-powered beings living idealised suburban lives—begin to suspect that everything is not as it seems.

Not only doe this new spot showcase the merging of classic American television eras with superhero drama, but we also get a taste of the new WandaVision theme song.

The spot reveals an original theme song written by Oscar®-winning songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez (Frozen), who penned unique songs for several episodes, spanning from the 1950s to the early 2000s.

“WandaVision is such a cool, strange, one-of-a-kind project,” says Lopez.

“When the director, Matt Shakman—an old friend from my college days—pitched it to us, we didn’t have to think about it. We loved the bright feeling of American sitcoms mixed with the deep sense of unease the story had, and it was a really inviting challenge to help set that tone.”

Adds Anderson-Lopez, “I grew up in the ’80s watching shows from every decade on the networks all day long. Episodes from I Love Lucy, Brady Bunch and Family Ties shaped who I am and how I move through the world. So this project was a dream come true.”

Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez have also written additional songs for successive episodes of the series as it morphs in and out of different decades so that each theme is relevant to the ‘decade’ in which it is set.

With its zany, strangeness this is the MCU like we’ve never seen before and WandaVision promises some of the most exciting developments we’ve yet seen in the MCU.

WandaVision will arrive on Disney+ on January 15.

Image: Walt Disney Pictures

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And now we can confirm that WandaVision will arrive on Disney+ on January 15, 2021 for six episodes of marvellous television.

A new era arrives. Marvel Studios’ @WandaVision, an Original Series, is streaming Jan. 15 on #DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/aejE6DNR35

— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) November 12, 2020

Watch the official trailer for WandaVision below:

Check out my full reaction to the WandaVision trailer below:

Here’s the official synopsis:

WandaVision is a blend of classic television and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in which Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany)—two super-powered beings living idealised suburban lives—begin to suspect that everything is not as it seems.

In what can best be described as Marvel Studios first ever sitcom, WandaVision is ready to take audiences in a brand new direction as Wanda Maximoff and Vision settle in as newlyweds in a quiet all-American suburban town of Westview determined to live their best lives possible. There’s only one little problem though…..things are about to get very, very strange.

While Marvel Studios has again been tight-lipped over what the limited series will cover, Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany recently gave an interview to EW where they talked about the series production and the shows very unique place in Marvel Studios history.

Filmed partially in front of a live studio audience (all of whom signed very, very strict NDAs), WandVision was shot with the mindset of the classic 1950s sitcom, which included crew working on set in. authentic 1950s style clothing, along with employing vintage 1950s camera lenses and lighting effects to capture the eras unique soft glow effect. Practical effects were also keenly used in order to give the series a uniqueness to it.

In its six episodes, WandaVision is set to scale the incredible breadth of television from the cherry sitcoms of the 1950s all the way to the zany family comedies of the 1990s. Visual references already seen in the trailer include the likes of The Dick Van Dyke Show, Leave It to Beaver, Bewitched, The Brady Bunch, Roseanne and Full House.

On the significance of the series for Marvel and it’s unique style, head writer Jac Schaeffer said:

“The show is a love letter to the golden age of television. We’re paying tribute and honoring all of these incredible shows and people who came before us, [but] we’re also trying to blaze new territory.”

Of her involvement in the series, star Elizabeth Olsen couldn’t be prouder of the series and has thoroughly loved the process of making the show.

“It’s been the biggest gift that Marvel’s given me, getting to do this show. You get to just focus on her and not how she felt through everyone else’s story lines. I already felt like I had ownership of her because Marvel always encourages you to be part of the process. But even more so now, I feel I have a really strong sense of ownership. If anyone wanted to ask me a question about the future or just a question about what she would think, I feel like this time has provided that.”

Not only is WandaVision a bold new step for Marvel Studios on Disney+, as it is ready to kick off a whole stream of MCU series on Disney+ including The Falcon and the Winder Soldier, Loki and Hawkeye, but it will also lead directly into 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness with Olsen to co-star alongside Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange. There’s a lot going on here and I certainly don’t want to miss any of it.

With its unique setting, innovative storyline and compelling desire to do something different, WandaVision is one of the most interesting and exciting new events happening in the MCU and we can’t wait for its arrival next year.

WandaVision will premiere on Disney+ on January 15, 2021.

Source: EW

Images: Walt Disney Pictures

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