Corey Osborne
CONTRIBUTOR
After one gruelling year without an entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), dedicated fans were eagerly anticipating new Marvel content.“WandaVision” (2021) satiated the needs of many Marvel fans. But, this article isn’t for them – Disney could release a three hour film that merely consisted of the Hulk and Ant-Man discussing their dinner plans, and Marvel fanboys and fangirls would still watch it. This article is for the people who are hearing an excessive amount of commotion about the series and are curious about checking it out.
The synopsis of “WandaVision” is as follows: The miniseries takes place merely three weeks after the conclusion of the Infinity Saga, “Avengers: Endgame” (2019). Avengers Wanda and Vision have settled down in the suburbs of Westview, New Jersey. However, their sudden escape to suburbia is not as it seems.
“WandaVision” is more than an entertaining comic-book TV show. It’s setting the tone for a more unique and expansive Marvel Cinematic Universe. As a child of the mid-90s/early 2000s, I grew up on a steady diet of sitcoms and zany/otherworldly variety shows that took advantage of vignette storytelling. Which means that “WandaVision” was more or less made for me, but I believe this show has something for everyone. The creators of “WandaVision” have somehow concocted a show that has influences from television properties such as, “The Twilight Zone” (1959), “Black Mirror” (2011), “I Love Lucy” (1951), “Full House” (1987), and even “Malcolm in the Middle” (2000). In the midst of all of these contradictory tones the show still manages to tell a riveting and fascinating story. A charming homage to sitcom tropes might occur at one moment, but the next will introduce an eerie scenario that will make the viewer question the characters’ reality. I firmly believe the beauty of WandaVision comes from the constant ebb and flow of tone.
The show can be heartwarming as well as terrifying at moments, and that’s why I think “WandaVision” is perfect for audience members who aren’t typically fans of comic-book movies or aren’t familiar with the MCU. Sure, there’s a lot of background information that needs to be known in order to fully conceptualize the story that’s being told, but this show is so entertaining that it stands on its own. Whenever viewers consume an episode of “Black Mirror” or “The Twilight Zone,” they only know as much as the writers tell, and “WandaVision” more or less operates in the same way for newcomers. When it comes down to it, the story is about the characters experiencing unexplainable phenomena and how they move forward.
The best part of “WandaVision” is the mysterious nature of the plot. The characters are not in control of the events taking place, so it adds a sense of relatability to the show. The audience often has the same inquiries as the characters in the show. Week by week, various fan theories pop out of the woodwork, and it’s an absolute blast trying to figure out what’s happening in the show. There’s just something exciting and special about watching a show every week and attempting to figure out what comes next.
Although I believe that even newcomers can find a lot of enjoyment from “WandaVision,” I have some recommendations on what you should watch before you begin: “Avengers: Age of Ultron” (2015), “Captain America: Civil War” (2016), “Avengers: Infinity War” (2018) and “Avengers: Endgame” (2019). If you watch all of those movies, you’ll be caught up with Wanda’s and Vision’s stories. I know that’s a lot, but if you need more context those are the perfect movies to watch.
This might just be the ramblings of a man in his mid 20s who is absolutely obsessed with everything that “WandaVision” is based on, but I genuinely believe that you should give the show a chance. Even if it’s slow in the beginning, and even if you haven’t seen any other Marvel movies – I think this show is a masterpiece.
