WandaVision

By Chris Lopez-Henriquez

WandaVision, which premiered  Jan. 15, 2021,  is an American television miniseries created by Jac Schaeffer for the streaming service Disney+, based on the Marvel Comics characters Wanda Maximoff, or the Scarlet Witch played by Elizabeth Olsen, and Vision, who’s played by Paul Bettany. Set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe [MCU], it is  continuing  the franchise through a sitcom-like TV show and takes place after the events of the film Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Endgame (2019). 

On the surface, Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) have moved into a nice suburban home in New Jersey. The unusual couple tries to fit in while hiding the fact that they’re two super-powered Avengers. It leads to a lot of delightful and often humorous moments. 

Slowly, as you scrutinize this Marvel series, you’ll find everything isn’t as happy and rosy as it appears. Vision’s reappearance is one of many hiccups on the show, cluing viewers that something is screwy in Wanda and Visions’ perfect fairy-tale. 

Vision, a machine of artificial intelligence that develops emotions and feelings, was killed by Thanos back in Marvel Infinity War (2018). We slowly come to find out that Wanda had created her own alternate reality as a coping mechanism, instead of accepting and processing the loss of Vision in “Infinity War.” 

She appears as though she is living out her own perfect not-real scenarios with Vision that was ripped away from her before she could’ve had it. Through time, we start exploring, and experiencing, the different decades ranging from the 50s all the way up to modern time. 

While there’s plenty of Marvel action, WandaVision also pays homage to the American sitcom through the decades. Individual episodes recreate sets, scenarios and comedy-style from several popular American TV sitcoms starting with the “Dick Van Dyke Show” in episode one. Other episodes recreate The Brady Bunch, Growing Pains, Family Ties, and Modern Family. While there is no recreation of the TV show Full House there are subtle nods to the sitcom that stars Olsen’s older twin sister who plays Michelle Tanner on the show. 

WandaVision is definitely worth watching. One experiences all the nuances of preceding decades, while at the same time, watchers are completely entertained. Through different sitcom-like episodes, children, and adults, as well as Marvel fans, are kept completely engaged making this a fun experience with family. 

It keeps viewers on the edge of their seats while getting to understand the characters backstory a lot better. Through special times like these, we also learn that even heroes make mistakes, suffer loss and struggle with mental health, but, unlike any other, heroes must prevail because our issue, too, as humans is not power, it is knowledge.