MARCUS CHEONG takes a look at the new Marvel series on the Disney+ streaming platform…
WandaVision
In a Word: Quirky
Elizabeth Olsen stars as Wanda Maximoff and Paul Bettany as Vision in Marvel’s WandaVision.
After the resounding success of The Mandalorian, Disney+ has turned its attention to Marvel. WandaVision brings the Marvel Cinematic Universe to the small screen in a nine episode season.
In the first three episodes, WandaVision truly is seen on a very small screen. Replicating the style of sitcoms from the Fifties, Sixties and Seventies, the result is a bizarre, nostalgic and somewhat unsettling homage to the history of television. Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) portray a happy couple in the quaint suburb of Westview. Each of the first few episodes hint that all is not as idyllic as it may seem
“For many, the first three episodes may be too strange and unfamiliar to enjoy. However, after the fourth episode, WandaVision reveals that it has the Marvel style that made the movies such a hit. It is also admirable to see that the producers are creating something different and new. “
The fourth episode is where you’ll find a satisfying answer to the sitcom TV world portrayed in the first three episodes. This is where the series begins to feel like part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe with the appearance of some familiar characters from various Marvel films – including astrophysicist Dr Darcy (Thor), FBI agent Jimmy Woo (Ant Man), and Monica Rambeau, now a SWORD agent (Captain Marvel) – who start to unravel the mystery of what is really happening in Westview. What they discover is fascinating, disturbing and well worth the slow burn to arrive at this point. (And, given what unfolds, it’s highly recommended that you watch Avenger’s Infinity War and Endgame before watching WandaVision).
At the time of this writing there are five episodes remaining to be released and the internet is buzzing each week with theories, speculations and observations. The creators have done an amazing job of inserting hidden content (known as ‘Easter eggs’) for the most ardent observer to discover. Everything from number plates, sound effects, costumes and character names contain symbols, clues and numbers that connect to the comics and the movies. Part of the fun is to discover, share and discuss these discoveries and wonder at what is to come.
For many, the first three episodes may be too strange and unfamiliar to enjoy. However, after the fourth episode, WandaVision reveals that it has the Marvel style that made the movies such a hit. It is also admirable to see that the producers are creating something different and new.
This is definitely not a copy and paste, procedural TV drama. This is a carefully constructed, interconnected part of the Marvel Universe that is showing how far someone can go to hide from grief and loss. And when that someone has the extraordinary powers of Wanda Maximoff, aka The Scarlet Witch, the result is mysterious, magical – and somewhat ominous.
