What is WandaVision?

WandaVision is a miniseries created by Marvel Studios and released on Disney+, starring Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany as Wanda and Vision, respectively. The show follows long time couple Wanda and Vision as they enter their dream suburban neighborhood, complete with their own house, car, and neighbors. As they appear to live their new, perfect life, they gradually become aware of the presence of a strange and powerful force at work controlling their reality.

The Show’s Unconventional Storytelling

Unlike traditional MCU movies, WandaVision trades action for adventure and comedy. The show features shorter episode lengths, breaking away from the typical hour-and-a-half format of the movies. In WandaVision, Marvel experiments with more unconventional story telling and television tropes, creating something truly unique in the Marvel mythos. Each episode takes place within a different era of television. Early episodes emulate classic domestic sitcoms from the 1950s, 60s, and beyond, pay homage to their respective eras, complete with commercial breaks and seemingly innocuous words having double meanings.

What Makes WandaVision Special?

WandaVision is unique in the Marvel Cinematic Universe because it brings together eighteen years of movie-making, featuring multiple past and present heroes, villains, and locations. It builds upon the idea of a shared universe in a way that almost no other shows are able to achieve. Despite the show’s unique story structure, it is still able to fit into the overarching narrative of the larger Marvel universe. WandaVision ties themes to the larger MCU without compromising its own narrative, bringing new characters and locations to explore. Fans are able to appreciate how much this show plays with genre, comic book history, and interwoven MCU plots. This show takes a deep dive into comics history and shows how complicated the Wanda and Vision relationship is, adding a level of intimacy that isn’t usually found in superhero TV shows or movies.