Disney+ and Marvel have teamed up to create something brand new: a television mini-series based upon a Marvel character and they did an amazing job. This review does contain light spoilers for the show, along with spoilers for “Avengers: Endgame,” “Avengers: Age of Ultron” and “Avengers: Infinity War,” so read with caution.
“WandaVision” takes place three weeks after the events of “Avengers: Endgame” and follows superheroes Wanda Maximoff, also known as the Scarlet Witch, and her husband, Vision, as they try to live a normal sitcom-esque life in the town of Westview, NJ. Each episode takes place in a different decade, but as the show progresses, the two learn their television-style life may have some glitches.
As someone who was not previously a Marvel fan, my love for “WandaVision” is somewhat surprising. My original plan was to completely avoid the show, but something about the idea of showcasing television throughout the decades intrigued me, so I decided to give it a watch. After some extensive Marvel research and movie watching, I sat down and binge-watched every episode, which varied from 30-50 minutes, in one sitting.
The first handful of episodes were somewhat lighthearted and focused on Wanda and Vision trying to fit in while keeping their superhero identities a secret. Seeing Paul Bettany portray a living Vision after the events of “Avengers: Infinity War” was so refreshing. Agnes’ character was the perfect “nosy next door neighbor” that always showed up with exactly what they needed, and we even got to see the birth of a new generation of Maximoff twins. These episodes include some of the show’s funniest moments, and it was refreshing to see Wanda be happy, even if it was short-lived.
If you know Marvel, you know these moments of bliss are usually cut short. After the first few episodes, we finally see what is really happening in the town of Westview. The show gives us a plethora of villains in the following episodes; from the annoying General Hayward to wicked Agatha with her extremely catchy theme song.
Marvel did an excellent job pulling the audience in with every episode, promising adorable Wanda and Vision moments along with portrayals of popular television shows from history, then promptly smacking the viewer in the face and ripping Wanda’s happiness away from her, and from all of us, just to remind you what franchise produced the show.
The only storyline I wish we had delved more into was that of Evan Peters’s Quicksilver In the Marvel Universe, Wanda’s twin brother Pietro – originally played by Aaron Taylor Johnson – was killed by Ultron in “Avengers: Age of Ultron.” When I heard the character was going to make an appearance on the show, I was ecstatic. Upon discovering the true reason behind the “recasted” version of her twin brother, I was a bit surprised.
While the ending did rip out my heart, the show left me in awe. It was a beautiful way to show how far Wanda Maximoff has come from her first appearance in “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” and I cannot wait for her next appearance in “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.”
