WARNING: The following contains spoilers for WandaVision Episodes 1 & 2, now streaming on Disney+.
After two episodes, WandaVision has already raised more questions than it's answered. In addition to the mysteries of Vision's return from the dead and the truth behind the show's unconventional premise, the first two episodes have been loaded with details that seem to hint at future villains in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Yet, as much as these Easter eggs beg to be analyzed and theorized about, there's a real chance many of these "hints" are just WandaVision's way of messing with its audience.
No doubt, there's more than meets the eye to some of the supporting characters WandaVision has introduced so far. In particular, there's Vision and Wanda's nosy neighbor Agnes (Kathryn Hahn), who many have been speculating is really the witch Agatha Harkness. Meanwhile, Episode 2 saw Wanda and Vision have a close encounter in the middle of the night with a mysterious beekeeper who may well prove to be Swarm, a Nazi scientist-turned sentient swam of bees who's even stranger and more obscure than Agatha, at least as far as Marvel villains go.
If that wasn't enough, WandaVision has already included details that seem to either set-up or reference Marvel villains like Grim Reaper and the Beyonder, in addition to evil organizations (namely, Hydra and AIM) that have appeared in the MCU before. Most notably, however, the show seems to be laying the groundwork for Mephisto, such as when Vision accidentally swallows some Big Red gum and Wanda and Vision's neighbor Dottie Jones (Emma Caulfield Ford) remarks that "the devil's in the details." These hints are especially intriguing since the Loki trailer similarly seemed to tease the cosmic villain's imminent arrival in the MCU.
Obviously, even if these teases pan out, only some of these villains can/will play an actual role in WandaVision. What's more, many of these antagonists (like Agatha) are secondary threats at best and won't act as heavy-hitters on the level of Thanos. Still, it's possible the plan is for the MCU to feature some combination of these foes in Phase 4, building on the nods to their existence in WandaVision. That could potentially allow the franchise to overcome one of its biggest flaws from Phases 1-3: filling the gaps between powerful antagonists with thinly-sketched and otherwise forgettable one-off enemies.
The other concern is that these teases will distract from WandaVision's narrative focus and the way it's using classic sitcom tropes and fake commercials to symbolize and deconstruct Wanda's mental trauma. In-between the Easter eggs and broadly comedic scenarios, the first two episodes of the show have alluded to a far darker reality involving Wanda being manipulated by outside forces, or having constructed this eccentric world as a way to process and cope with all the emotional pain and loss she's suffered. Either one would be a compelling scenario that brings some added thematic substance to WandaVision's enjoyable sitcom shenanigans.
In a way, it's appropriate WandaVision is dropping all these apparent villain clues for viewers to ponder without knowing whether they're reading too much into them. The series is not only the manifestation of Wanda's troubled state of mind after the events of Avengers: Endgame, it's what showrunner Jac Schaeffer has described as the MCU's reflection of our 2020 anxieties. WandaVision sets the stage for a more ambitious Phase 4 that explores Marvel's multiverse, and, in doing so, raises questions about the nature of reality in the MCU. That's to say, its true goal might well be to keep viewers on-edge and wondering how many of these teases are even real.
Written by Jac Schaeffer and directed by Matt Shakman, WandaVision stars Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch, Paul Bettany as Vision, Randall Park as Agent Jimmy Woo, Kat Dennings as Darcy Lewis, Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau and Kathryn Hahn as Agnes. New episodes air Fridays on Disney+.
0 Comments