WandaVision: 5 Things That Have Been Confirmed (And 5 Fan Theories)
Although Wanda Maximoff has been underserved in the Marvel Cinematic Universe so far, Elizabeth Olsen is finally set to see her role expanded in Phase Four. In addition to a co-starring role with Benedict Cumberbatch in the Sorcerer Supreme’s next standalone outing, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Wanda has scored her own solo series on Disney+ called WandaVision.
A curious blend of ‘50s domestic sitcom and comic book extravaganza, WandaVision will somehow bring Vision back to life following his death in Avengers: Infinity War. Now, here are five things that have been confirmed about WandaVision as well as five fan theories.
10 Confirmed: It’s a sitcom
Producer Kevin Feige has said that WandaVision will be equal parts old-timey sitcom and superhero epic. An early sizzle reel announcing the show namechecked classic sitcoms The Dick Van Dyke Show and Father Knows Best as stylistic influences on how the show will look and feel.
Based on what we’ve seen of the series so far, Marvel seems to be really leaning into the sitcom angle with WandaVision. Marvel has even hired Matt Shakman, who has helmed episodes of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia in addition to dramas like Fargo and Game of Thrones, to direct the show’s first episode.
9 Fan theory: Chthon will appear
The next few chapters of the MCU will probably start leading towards another Thanos-sized villain. The franchise’s second big villain can’t just be a rehash of the Mad Titan, a powerful cosmic warlord bent on reshaping the universe as he sees fit. The MCU’s next top-shelf antagonist could be Chthon, a demonic Elder God.
As a master of so-called “chaos magic,” which is Wanda Maximoff’s main power, Chthon would make the perfect villain for WandaVision. It seems like the plot will revolve around Wanda altering reality somehow, which could allow Chthon to escape from the primordial void and terrorize the physical realm, necessitating Doctor Strange’s intervention.
8 Confirmed: The series will explain how Wanda earns the name Scarlet Witch
So far in the MCU, Wanda Maximoff has never actually been given the name Scarlet Witch. She is identified that way in all of the online encyclopedias and fan discussion, but on-screen, she’s never actually gone by the name Scarlet Witch. In WandaVision, it’s been confirmed that a big part of the storyline will go towards finally giving Wanda her superhero name and explaining how she gets it.
The backstory behind superhero alter egos is a staple of the MCU, from a news outlet identifying L.A.’s metallic guardian as “Iron Man” to Peter Quill’s mom calling him “my little star-lord.”
7 Fan theory: Scarlet Witch will be retconned as a mutant
Marvel was in a tricky spot when it introduced Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch into the MCU in Avengers: Age of Ultron, because they’re mutants in the comics, but Fox had the rights to Marvel’s mutants back then. So, the studio had to explain that the twins were given their powers by Hydra’s experimentation with the Mind Stone.
Now that Disney has acquired 21st Century Fox (and, with it, the rights to the mutant gene and all of the X-Men characters), WandaVision will be able to retcon Wanda Maximoff as a mutant from birth. This could be the beginning of Marvel integrating the X-Men into the MCU.
6 Confirmed: Monica Rambeau, Darcy Lewis, and Jimmy Woo are all coming back
WandaVision will see the unexpected return of three minor characters from the MCU’s past. An adult version of Monica Rambeau, who we saw as a child idolizing Carol Danvers in Captain Marvel, will appear, played by Teyonah Parris. Plus, Kat Dennings is back as Darcy Lewis, the comic relief from the Thor movies before the Thor movies were 100% comic relief, as is Randall Park as Jimmy Woo, the FBI agent who oversaw Scott Lang’s house arrest in Ant-Man and the Wasp.
Previously, these characters have had nothing to do with each other, or with Scarlet Witch and Vision, so it’ll be interesting to see how Marvel fits them into the show.
5 Fan theory: Monica Rambeau will become Photon
Monica Rambeau has taken on a few superhero mantles over the years, but her mother’s call sign being “Photon” in Captain Marvel seems to telegraph that that’ll be her MCU alter ego.
The fact that Monica in WandaVision will be played by If Beale Street Could Talk’s Teyonah Parris, one of the brightest young stars to emerge in recent years, seems to be setting her up for a larger role in the MCU than just a supporting role in a six-part limited series. If she becomes Photon in the series, then it would set her up for an appearance in Avengers 5 later down the line.
4 Confirmed: It’ll lead into Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Kevin Feige has stated that unlike Marvel’s Netflix series, the Disney+ series will directly link with the movies. In other words, if you want to keep up with the MCU past 2020, you’ll have no choice but to buy a Disney+ subscription. The Mouse House has got us all caught in a commercial checkmate. Well-played.
Specifically, WandaVision will lead into the events of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Stephen Strange’s second solo outing will see Wanda Maximoff taking on a supporting role, although we know little more than that, since it’ll all hinge on the events of WandaVision.
3 Fan theory: Wanda will warp reality to bring back Vision
As far as we know, Vision is dead in the MCU’s continuity. Thanos ripped the Mind Stone out of his head to complete his collection and fulfill his ominous destiny. Exactly how Vision will come back to life in time for WandaVision is unclear.
In an iconic Marvel storyline called “House of M,” Scarlet Witch loses her kids and can’t cope with the grief, so she uses her powers to manipulate the fabric of reality to bring them back, which leads to grave cosmic consequences for the universe. Perhaps this storyline will be recycled to explain how Vision comes back, and she’ll create the “multiverse of madness” that she’s going to tackle with Doctor Strange right after the events of WandaVision.
2 Confirmed: Black Widow’s screenwriter has been hired as showrunner
Jac Schaeffer, who co-wrote the script for Cate Shortland’s upcoming Black Widow prequel (which will be hitting a theater near you next May) and also had a writing credit on Captain Marvel, has been hired by Marvel to be WandaVision’s showrunner. She’ll also act as an executive producer and write the pilot episode.
The studio was clearly impressed with Schaeffer’s work as part of a larger writing team on her previous MCU scripts, because they’ve given her full control of WandaVision. It’s also great to see a female writer being hired to tell a female character’s story, because that’s strangely rare in Hollywood.
1 Fan theory: The series is a self-induced vision
One of Wanda’s powers (and one of her most prominently used abilities in the MCU) is inducing visions in people. She showed Tony, Cap, Thor, Nat, and the other Avengers their worst fears in Age of Ultron.
In WandaVision, she could give herself one of those visions, in order to escape into a world where everything’s perfect: she’s not a wanted criminal, she has a normal life, and the cybernetic love of her life is still around. This could explain why it’s being made in the style of a sitcom, why it’s supposedly set (at least partly) in the 1950s, and how Vision is alive and well in the series.