The marvelous new Marvel series: "WandaVision"
By Kendra Martinez, Staff Writer
Marvel’s “WandaVision” aired on Jan. 15, and it exceeded expectations to say the least. The newest addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) was released on DisneyPlus over the course of eight weeks. Being the first Marvel production in nearly two years, the highly anticipated series set the bar high for upcoming Marvel projects by giving the audience lovable characters and advancing the plot of the universe. It gives the audience a story of wonderful overcoming grief and captures the essence of sitcoms over the decades.
Being the first TV show directly tied to the MCU, “WandaVision” introduced a new Marvel era. The first two episodes pay homage to popular sitcoms from the 1950s to the 1970s. These episodes are used to show the relationship between Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) and they set up the through-the-decades theme the show will follow. Episode five referenced “Full House” in the opening theme by including the classic family picnic in the park and ending it with a zooming out shot, proving just how detail-oriented the rest of the season will be. The writers did not miss a beat in accurately depicting sitcoms through the decades throughout the season, from the change in themes songs to the change in wardrobe, everything was nearly spot on. The show also does a great job at including a plot line through the different decades and actually making it cohesive.
A key aspect in the success of “WandaVision” was the ability for new people to tune in and understand the events of the show without having a lot of prior Marvel knowledge. This was made possible because the plot was not heavily reliant on the events of past movies and really focused on Wanda’s story and the evolution of her character. After Wanda comes back from the blip in “Endgame”, she finds out Vision is dead and has to cope with that. Because the show then follows her in her stages of grief, the plot is easier to follow since it focuses on Wanda’s reality. While deeply devoted fans could connect small details and easter eggs to other MCU storylines, the average viewer would have no difficulty keeping up with the story. Of course, it would not hurt new viewers to catch up on their Marvel movies.
Aside from the plot, “WandaVision” did a marvelous job at enhancing old characters and giving the audience some memorable new ones. The previous MCU movies made it hard to develop any fondness for Wanda and Vision. Their relationship and story lines were often overlooked and they were never really given a chance to flourish as characters. This is why I was not expecting to have loved the series as much as I did. “WandaVision” gave the audience a true glimpse at the love both characters felt and how that love made it difficult for Wanda to deal with her grief and accept her loss. The show also included details and flashbacks from the past that made it easier to sympathize for Wanda. Olsen did a phenomenal job at embodying the grief Wanda was feeling. Wanda’s characterization and Olsen’s portrayal throughout the show turned Wanda into a favorite Marvel character among the audience rather quickly.
As for new characters, “WandaVision” introduced two young heroes that could potentially be a part of future “Avengers” movies. Billy (Juilan Hilliard) and Tommy Maximoff (Jett Klyne) are Wanda and Vision’s twins, each with their own powers. They quickly became lovable characters, which made the ending of the show that much sadder. Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn) was brought in as one of the main antagonists. Hahn did an amazing job at portraying the different roles Agatha played in each episode. It was definitely Hahn’s portrayal that made Agatha an iconic sinister character, even if she was messing with everything all along.
If it was not evident this show was fantastic, this is me telling you this show was fantastic. Even if you are not a big fan of Marvel or sitcoms, the catchy tunes and Elizabth Olsen in the Scarlet Witch suit should be enough to get you to watch “WandaVision”.