Wandavision is the new series on Disney + that is creating a lot of buzz on social media. The show is centered around the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) characters Wanda Maximoff and Vision. Taking place about three weeks after the events of Avengers: Endgame, we see Wanda and Vision living in the idyllic suburban town of Westfield, NJ, trying to conceal their true natures. Each episode enters a new decade bringing along Wanda and Vision from the 1950’s all the way to today. What is making this show so hot for MCU fans are the Easter eggs that have been popping up throughout the show, the new MCU characters who have been brought into Wanda’s world, and the potential for venturing into the multiverse of Marvel. Wandavision is a must see for any Marvel fan!
The Easter Eggs
It’s a good thing these episodes are only running about 30 minutes long! There are so many little clues planted throughout each one, you’re going to want to have time to go back and rewatch to try to catch them all. My favorite (not so subtle) gems are found inside the commercials that run during the show. These short breaks are seemingly meaningless, until you examine closer and see that they all highlight some part of Wanda Maximoff’s difficult past. We’ve seen so many fun clues and nods dropped in these- from the Stark toaster in an early episode referencing the Stark Enterprises war profiteering that so impacted Wanda’s life to later commercials including brand names such as Hydra (who’s experimentation was responsible for Wanda and Pietro’s powers) and Nexus. Colors also play an important role in the series- red symbolizing the Scarlett Witch’s (Wanda’s) powers, blue symbolizing Photon (aka Monica Rambeau) and purple (aka Agatha Harkness). You will notice these colors in the character’s eyes, costumes, and in the hex itself.
Details Straight from the Comics
Watch with a careful eye next go around and see how many references you can also find to the comic book, House of M, which is the series focused on Wanda aka The Scarlett Witch. There are the obvious ones: Wanda and Visions Halloween costumes, for example; the light speed pregnancy (and unexplained conception) of Wanda and subsequent growth of Tommy and Billy as well as Wanda breaking into S.H.I.E.L.D to steal Visions body. Also in the comics, Wanda and Vision move to New Jersey suburbs to raise their family. Pay close attention to everyone’s costumes and colors and you will notice several nods to their comic book equivalents.
Multiverse Crossovers
Once of the most exciting things for MCU fans has been watching the crossovers unfold and speculating about future crossovers. We’ve seen the obvious- Jimmy Woo who we know from Ant Man, Darcy Lewis from Thor, and Monica Rambeau all grown up from Captain Marvel. The most talked about character has been that of Pietro, Wanda’s brother. Fans are split on what his reappearance could mean. Is he the one who will bring the X-Men into the MCU? Check out his Halloween costume as Quicksilver in that episode. Will we see a true return to Wanda’s comic book roots with the appearance of Magneto as her father? Other fans have an alternate theory. Could Pietro’s “horn” hairstyle in the Halloween episode and then his reappearance with Agatha during the end credits of episode 7 really be a hint that Pietro, in fact, is Mephisto, the true villain who will emerge from this series? There are certainly many other “devil” references sprinkled throughout the show. Rewatch and let me know what you think.
Another exciting multiverse topic of speculation is the possible introduction of the Fantastic 4 into the series. Darcy references the appearance of CMBR (Cosmic Microwave Background radiation) in the hex, the same element credited in the comics for giving the Fantastic 4 their power. In a later episode, Rambeau says that she knows “an aerospace engineer who’d be up for the challenge”, possibly in reference to Reed Richards. Marvel fans should agree that Wandavision is a must see for these reasons alone!
What do you think of this series? Are you a fan of the comic books? With so much crossover already and the potential for more to come, Wandavision is a must see for every Marvel fan! Check out our most recent podcast episode to hear our recap and review.