Category: Features

‘WANDAVISION’ Episode 5 Primer

The last episode of WandaVision really cleared things up. In my Episode 4 Primer, I said that the citizens of Westview were real and they were all just Wanda’s puppets in her fantasy world and Episode 4, “We Interrupt This Program“, confirmed it when Monica returned and let everyone know that “it’s all Wanda.” We found out how S.W.O.R.D. became aware of the “Westview anomaly” and were analyzing the happenings in the town, which included watching and recording “episodes” and trying to understand exactly what was going on, including the fact that according to the Sheriffs, Westview isn’t a real place.

This past episode wasn’t only a shift in perspective, it seemed to be setting up what will be happening the rest of the season. The Mid-Season trailer shows S.W.O.R.D. trying to bulldoze into Westview. I don’t think Wanda would be very happy about something like that happening and threatening her reality. With Wanda behind all this weirdness, the trailer seems to be setting up Wanda v. S.W.O.R.D.

Arlyn’s Assumptions

I think that these next couple of episodes will be all about the twins growing up. One of my thoughts was, what if the boys start to get curious? What happens when they start going outside the barrier? Can they even exist outside of the barrier? These questions won’t be answered until we see it happen in the show, but I still think it is a possibility. Is Wanda going to have to put a spell on them? I think she might have to as they grow up. In the trailer, it shows a figure coming out of the bubble. I think this will be Wanda coming to fight, and this will be the start of the action part. Also in the trailer, Vision seems to get curious and goes to the barrier, Wanda being the way she is, could go crazy and maybe even hurt Vision.

Episode 5 of WandaVision streams this Friday on Disney Plus.

February 4, 2021
Theory Thursday: Ding Dong! Guess Who?

Small Spoilers for Episode 4 and Potential Spoilers for Episode 5

Last week’s episode blew the mystery of behind Westview wide open. A barrier that transforms things that go in it into “TV-friendly” props or people. A sitcom starring two Avengers. The town of WestView being cast in this sitcom as other people. Something clearly wrong with Vision, but it’s going over my head. And Wanda at the center of it all. Thanks to *DR.* Darcy Lewis (put some respect on her name), we know that the town of Westview is emitting a high level of CMBR, aka Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation. For those of you not familiar with the term, Director of S.W.O.R.D. later referred to the term as “relic radiation dating to the big bang.” If are unfamiliar with the term, then perhaps you’ll remember a certain Collector talk about how “before creation itself, there were six singularities. Then the universe exploded into existence, and the remnants of these systems were forged into concentrated ingots…” Yes, I’m talking about the Infinity Stones, particularly the Mind Stone, which is the stone that “activated” Wanda’s abilities, as per the Wakanda Files. If Wanda is indeed doing this, then Wanda’s abilities are clearly going beyond anything that we’ve seen previously in the MCU and it seems she’ll only grow more and more powerful, which leads me to today’s theory.

The 80s episode looks like things will go wild.

Amongst fans, the 80’s episode is perhaps one of the most highly anticipated episodes because collectively, it’s perhaps one of the sitcom episodes with the least amount of footage shown in the trailers. And the little amount we’ve seen seems crazy. Wanda and Vision tending to their newborn children, Agnes popping in for a visit, the possible first look at the family dog, Sparky, and what looks like Wanda and Vision having a somewhat heated argument that escalates to the use of their powers. A possible foreshadowing of Wanda and Vision facing each other later on as the series progresses? Apart from all that, there’s a certain scene that’s really interesting to me.

In the scene depicted above, Wanda is opening the door to someone and she has a bit of a stricken look on her face. Marvel included that scene in a recent promotion called “Triumph.” It appears right after Vision says “Did you really not see what I just saw?” This line carries a double meaning because the intent of that line is to make us focus on this scene in particular, but it’s actually a misdirect from the scene where Wanda and Vision are with Agnes and she asks if they should take it from the top and starts acting weird around them. So, who could Wanda be opening the door to? Let’s discuss that.

It’s NOT Agnes

I want to kick off this theory straight off the bat by saying that I don’t think it’s Agnes. We can see Agnes visiting Wanda and Vision earlier in the trailer and, in nosy neighbor fashion, lets herself in. So I don’t really see Wanda having the need to open the door for this neighbor in particular.

It could be whoever Evan Peters is playing.

We know from way back that Charles talked about Evan Peters having a mystery role in the show. Now, what character he could play is the million-dollar question. The most prevalent theory at the moment is that Peters could be portraying Wanda’s deceased brother, Pietro Maximoff aka Quicksilver. Peters is no stranger to the role, given that he already portrayed Quicksilver before in the X-Men Fox franchise. I suspect that his arrival to the show was foreshadowed in Episode 3 when Wanda talked about Pietro and sang that lullaby. Could she have wished him into the reality? Time will tell, but having him appear as Wanda’s brother could be quite the surprise, given that it might be a complete recast of the character, who was previously portrayed by Aaron Taylor Johnson in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Others believe that Peters could be portraying whomever the antagonist of this series is, whether it’s Mephisto or Nightmare.

It could be James Spader as Human Ultron.

This more of a personal wish, but I’d love to see more of James Spader as Ultron in the MCU. Just imagine the shock on Wanda’s face seeing some random stranger at her home, not recognizing him and the moment he opens his mouth and speaks, she recognizes his voice, having her flashback to her trauma during the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron. I still wanted to include it here as a possible appearance. Though I did want to share a more likely theory for Ultron’s possible appearance in WandaVision in a totally different manner via one of the commercials that appears during the sitcoms. A theory our fellow writer Lizzie Hill shared is that we could have Ultron appear in a possible toy robot commercial and he speaks quotes from his previous appearance. Imagine your kid playing with a robot that sings “I had strings, but now I’m free. There are no strings on me…” or says “I was designed to save the world.” That toy robot may have already made his appearance during the trailers as seen below. Look inside the basket.

Of course, Marvel does enjoy playing its game with us and it could potentially be nothing just to keep up guessing. But we’ll have to wait and see what happens when WandaVision‘s newest episode airs tomorrow on Disney+.

February 4, 2021
Throwback Thursday: That Time Elizabeth Olsen Spoiled ‘WANDAVISION’…in 2015

Over the past several years, Marvel Studios has displayed an increased willingness to allow their start to help shape the creative visions of their characters. For example, Mark Ruffalo has on more than one occasion mentioned that he and Kevin Feige have had discussions around what’s next for the Hulk and Chris Hemsworth has made it clear that it was the willingness of Thor creatives (including Taika Waititi) to allow the star some input on the direction of Thor that has kept him around in the MCU for a fourth solo film. It’s quite possible that Elizabeth Olsen may have planted some seeds in the brain on the One-Above-All as well, seeds that have now come to bear fruit in Marvel Studios Disney Plus streaming series WandaVision.

In 2015, Olsen sat down alongside Aaron Taylor Johnson to talk about Avengers: Age of Ultron with Screen Rant. You can check out the full interview below, but around the 1:40 mark when asked what she’d like to see Scarlet Witch do next, Olsen had this to say:

“My favorite is House of M but that would never happen. If she could have two fake babies and everyone tell her that they don’t really exist and her just go nuts that would be unbelievable but I don’t think they’re going to do that. It might be a little too dark for the Marvel Universe. When she loses her mind it’s my favorite thing in the comics.”

That wasn’t the only time Olsen talked about House of M. In fact, she brought the comic arc up again when promoting the DVD release of AoU later that same year. It’s safe to say that the arc has been on Olsen’s mind for some time and while we don’t know just how hard she pushed for Marvel Studios to adapt House of M, it’s clearly in line with how the studio treats its top talent. We know that House of M was one big inspiration for the series even though it can’t be adapted beat for beat. However, Olsen’s focus on Wanda “losing her mind” after learning about the true nature of her children is definitely something that could be adapted and, quite honestly, seems right in line with what we know about the series so far. It also might be an example of the actress spoiling a series that wasn’t even conceived, much less written when she talked about it 6 years ago.

The nature of Wanda’s twins in the comics was pretty confusing and this could be an opportunity for Marvel Studios to streamline it a bit in order to make it easier for general audiences to swallow. Something as simple as Wanda’s kids being created with magic inside the hexagonal hex and being incapable of leaving that reality could REALLY be the last straw for a character who has lost everyone dear to her so far. We can also see from the mid-season trailer that S.W.O.R.D. is going to become more aggressive in their investigation of the hex bubble over the second half of the season, raising another option and an interesting question to ponder: what happens to Billy and Tommy if the bubble pops? Sure Wanda and Monica can survive outside of it because they existed before it did, but will the twins have that same ability? Should any of these ideas be even remotely on the mark, you can see how it’ll set up a MAJOR showdown between an enraged Wanda and S.W.O.R.D., an idea you can read more about here. On more than one occasion, Feige has mentioned how we will see Wanda become the Scarlet Witch during WandaVision and that most likely means we’ll see a major display of her true powers and, quite possibly, a heel turn that sets her on a very different path…perhaps even into conflict with the Sorcerer Supreme himself when she gets done wiping the floor with S.W.O.R.D. One thing is for sure: we are in for a wild ride over the next 5 episodes and beyond.

February 4, 2021
Marvel Studios Should ‘TEAM-UP’ On Disney+

It’s been almost two years since we last saw Marvel Studios grace the famous Hall H stage at San Diego Comic-Con, and what a doozy that last presentation was. We were lucky enough to be granted a plethora of project announcements that included everything but the kitchen sink. From the bold new film horizons of Eternals and Shang-Chi to the comforting return of fan-favorite characters to the small screen with Hawkeye and WandaVision. Yet one of the most exciting announcements was also perhaps the least talked about. In 1977, Marvel Comics launched a series titled What If…?, a comic book that explored what the Marvel Universe might look like if key events in its history occurred differently. At the aforementioned 2019 Comic-Con, Marvel Studios revealed it would produce an animated series by the same exact title, serving the same exact purpose, albeit for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’s an experimental work for the studio, featuring their first foray into animation, and is sure to aid in Marvel’s quest to diversify their storytelling heading into the future, but there’s one aspect of the series that is particularly exciting. Just like the comic it draws inspiration from, it’s an anthology. The show gives the viewers a chance to see a new adventure, starring different characters, every week. It’s an exciting format that opens up countless possibilities in terms of expanding what fans already know about the MCU, and if it goes over well with the general audience, I don’t think Marvel should stop using it after What If…?. After all, why quit adapting disco era anthology magazines after only one? Mr. Kevin Feige, if you’re reading this, I’m here to make a case for Marvel Studios’ Team-Up, the greatest Disney+ original that doesn’t exist. Yet.

First off, a little history lesson. Marvel Team-Up is a comic series that originally ran for 150 issues (plus seven annuals) from 1972 until 1985. The basic premise was as simple as the title: in each issue, one Marvel character would unexpectedly bump into another Marvel character while dealing with a problem, and then the two characters would work together to solve said problem. Oftentimes, the objective of the book was to promote minor characters by throwing them into adventures with major ones (i.e. Spider-Man meets Werewolf by Night), and then to fill the spaces in between with marquee pairings that could maintain sales and keep interest with readers (i.e. Spider-Man and the X-Men). The villains of these stories also had a tendency to be lesser-known threats, such as Zarrko the Tomorrow Man or the Grey Gargoyle, so that the arrival of big-name baddies could be saved for more mainstream titles. Although it wasn’t advertised as a Spider-Man series, the web-head was featured as one of the main characters in 140 issues and all but one of the annuals, and the series was subsequently replaced by a new ongoing Spidey book after a 13-year run. The popularity of the team-up concept persisted, however, and Marvel Team-Up found itself revived three more times, in 1995, 2005, and 2019, for a handful of issues each, while alternate versions of the Spider-Man character found themselves meeting all kinds of super powered individuals in the similarly short-lived Ultimate Marvel Team-Up and Superior Spider-Man Team-Up.

If Marvel Studios thinks they can find success copying the What If…? formula and pasting it onto their own Marvel universe, I think they can find success doing the same thing with Marvel Team-Up. Maybe I’m biased, considering the series was among the first I ever read as a kid and does have a hefty amount of sentimental value, but the idea makes a lot of sense in context as well. If you think about it, the general idea behind the original Team-Up was even used in a reverse fashion by Sony to some effect for their newest Spider-Man trilogy, co-produced by Marvel Studios, in which they found ways to team Spidey up with established MCU characters (Iron Man, Nick Fury, and reportedly, Doctor Strange) in an attempt to promote his new brand. Now imagine, for a moment, that strategy being applied to a hypothetical show wherein each week, two MCU characters, who wouldn’t be likely to interact often in any sort of film, cross paths and take down a relatively minor threat in the time span of an hour-long episode. The show’s objective would function much like that of the comic, mixing the marvelous misadventures of less popular MCU heroes or side-characters with bigger names, in an effort to give the spotlight to actors who wouldn’t normally have a chance to show what they’re made of and create fun new character dynamics that fans might not even know they needed. It would also be a chance for Marvel Studios to flesh out their universe in an organic way, showing what their protagonists and deuteragonists get themselves into when the big events aren’t happening, and opening the door for a litany of quirky new villains to make their live-action debut without taking time or space away from the main films and television series. Obviously, this kind of show would cost a small fortune to cast if every episode featured Spider-Man or Doctor Strange-level characters, but following the book’s given format would mean that the majority of episodes could center around cheaper names and faces, and the proof that folks would still tune in to watch is already in the WandaVision-flavored pudding. One of the latest episodes mainly featured Randall Park’s Jimmy Woo (side character from Ant-Man and the Wasp) teaming up with Kat Dennings‘ Darcy Lewis (side character from Thor) to solve a supernatural mystery involving Teyonah Parris‘ Monica Rambeau (side character from Captain Marvel), and half of Twitter is already calling for Marvel to make a spin-off.

A potential Team-Up series could also capitalize on the same kind of behind-the-scenes hype that The Mandalorian has used as a mixed marketing and creative golden goose since its inception. With the Team-Up pitch acting as an anthology, every episode could also feature the work of a different director, famous or otherwise, lending their talented touch to the script and conversation-inducing name to the credits. It would give Marvel Studios the opportunity to work with boundless talent from every race, gender, and creed (should they take it, and they should), and would allow multiple directors to get their hands on the world of Marvel, if only for an hour or so at a time. Perhaps Edgar Wright was never able to make his Ant-Man movie as intended, and perhaps we’ll never get the “young Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne series” that many fans found themselves clamoring for a couple of years ago, but we could hypothetically get an Ant-Man and the Wasp team-up episode set in the 1960s, directed by Edgar Wright as a consolation prize. As a bonus, should a certain director prove more than capable of handling the MCU, the studio could even make the move to give them a larger project, which is once again something we’ve seen work with The Mandalorian and Deborah Chow, who, after an impressive showing in the debut series, is on her way to direct every episode of the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi show. The same goes for guest appearances from new characters. The second season of The Mandalorian made headlines when Timothy Olyphant seduced audiences as Cobb Vanth for only a single sultry episode, and it now seems possible that he could appear in more Star Wars content down the line. Envision the kind of damage he could do in an episode of Marvel Studios’ Team-Up, playing long-lost Asgardian warrior Balder the Brave, as he fights alongside Jamie Alexander as Lady Sif and Simu Liu as the misplaced Shang-Chi, against the evil forces of the witch Karnilla and her magic Norn Stones in the realm of Nornheim, all directed by Rick Famuyiwa. Wouldn’t you like to see a Disney Gallery inside look at that episode? Put it back-to-back with the Jimmy Woo/Darcy Lewis reunion and you have yourself a show. Also keep in mind that the MCU is only growing, and soon a series like Marvel Studios’ Team-Up would be able to include characters from the world of X-Men, Blade, and the Fantastic Four, which most of us would see as an absolute win.

One quick side note, should Marvel Studios not be able to afford such a series in live-action, it wouldn’t be heartbreaking to bring the project to life via animation, like What If…? before it. Animation is a wonderful medium for all ages, and the market for exclusive animated shows on Disney+ has never been better, thanks to the valiant effort of The Clone Wars seventh and final season. We now know that the entertainment juggernaut has no problem getting its impressive stable of performers to return for one-episode vocal parts, and if Marvel can strike another deal with Quebec-based animators Squeeze, they could create any environment for any episode, without having to build a set.

February 3, 2021
‘WandaVision’: Wonder Man Could Be Jimmy Woo’s Missing Person

The latest episode of WandaVision finally revealed what was happening outside of the strange sitcom bubble. We get introduced to Monica Rambeau, Darcy Lewis, and Jimmy Woo. Most revelations in this episode surrounded Wanda’s control over this small American town. Yet, there was one more subtle reveal. Woo’s search for a missing person case brought everyone to uncover Wanda’s sitcom world. He reveals that it is a man who is in the Witness Protection program. It seemed odd that they added such detail to what could be just a throwaway line. I think we already got the teaser of who it might be as early as the show’s first week.

Let’s take a look back at the Disney+ show’s premiere. We finally got to see the first two episodes and were welcomed by a brand new featurette. There is a brief shot of head writer Jac Schaeffer with a comic image of Wonder Man, a.k.a. Simon Williams, in the background. So far, there has not been a single remark or hint at his existence within this story. There is another hint hidden in the second episode’s opening. If you look closely, there is the iconic helmet of Marvel Comic’s Grim Reaper. He is an iconic Marvel Comics villain who some might know as Eric Williams, Wonder Man’s brother. The character had an important role in Tom King‘s Vision run, so it felt like a nice Easter Egg. Yet, the image in the featurette may have given away his inclusion in the story.

There are a few potential hints that we can use to connect the dots. Wonder Man has an essential connection to Vision in the comics. When Ultron created the synthezoid, he used the brain patterns of the deceased superhero. Of course, we never got this origin story in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. After his apparent death in Avengers: Infinity War, there might be a chance to revisit his original origin. Plus, it wouldn’t be too surprising if Williams joined the Witness Protection program while being on the run from his brother, who could still appear in the story later on.

Also, there is the aspect of the Westview citizens getting trapped in a sitcom world. There is a possible connection to Wanda’s history with the genre, but it also seems like the perfect world for a guy like Williams to feel at home. He might overact his way through the events. There is also the fun possibility that he is one of the few people aware of what is happening but just decided to have some fun with it. This series would also not be his first potential appearance within the MCU. Nathan Fillion almost played the character in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. There he was only going to have a brief appearance and be featured on posters. So, they were planning on introducing the character in some form or another at some point. Yet, there has been no sight of Fillion so far to tie it together.

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So, we certainly haven’t seen Fillion appear at any point in the past episodes. I doubt that he will be reprising the role, as he is busy filming The Rookie. Still, it doesn’t mean they would completely sideline this original set-up. He is in the witness protection program so he could’ve gone through facial reconstructive surgery. The former actor was forced into hiding and is on a mission to relive his glory days. Suddenly, the small town turned into a living sitcom. Even brainwashed, he couldn’t hold back his hammy acting and was there where he wanted to be. Once Wanda’s grip on this reality started to loosen, he couldn’t help himself and tried to embrace a larger role. If they continue Fillion‘s teased approached, he may end up biting more than he can chew.

Who would be perfect for a potentially larger role in the MCU? Well, how about Evan Peters? We are still waiting to find out who he might be playing ever since our very own Charles Murphy reported his addition. Everyone focuses on his history with American Horror Story as the template for him to potentially end up playing Mephisto. There is also his comedic background with Kick-Ass and the X-Men films. Now that I mentioned it, there is also the big question in the room if he might be a different version of Quicksilver, as he took on the role since Days of Future Past. Whatever he turns out to be playing, he would be a fantastic addition that could grow into a larger role moving forward. He seems like perfect casting to take on the role and showboat his acting skills while everyone else is trying to figure out why Wanda is controlling their lives.

Source: Instagram

February 1, 2021
5 Candidates for the Next Director of S.W.O.R.D.

The king is dead; long live the king.

With all due respect to Josh Stamberg’s Tyler Haywood, the looming showdown between Wanda Maximoff and the Sentient Weapon Observation and Response Department might mean the newly introduced organization might be replacing its acting director by season’s end. With that in mind, here’s a look at 5 potential candidates to step into command of S.W.O.R.D.

Monica Rambeau

Already a Captain in the organization founded by her mother, Monica Rambeau stands out as a safe choice to step into the leadership role should Haywood find himself…unable to fill it. We’ve already seen enough to know that Monica is NOT going to have too much in common with her comic book counterpart and she really does make the most sense for the role. She’s spent her entire life holding secrets most people only dream of and if not for having been snapped, she might already be in the top spot. Being in charge of S.W.O.R.D. would also set her up nicely for a reunion with our next candidate.

Carol Danvers

In all likelihood, Carol is a bit too busy to hold down the role, but should Marvel Studios choose to merge work some of Carol’s recent Alpha Flight plot points into Captain Marvel 2, having her take command of S.W.O.R.D. would do the trick. She’s already had a hand in the Avengers Initiative and certainly on the creation of S.W.O.R.D. and no Terran hero will have more experience with extraterrestrial threats. However, with S.W.O.R.D. cutting back on its space program, taking Carol out of the skies might not be the best choice.

Abigail Brand

There’s no better choice than the Special Agent Abigail Brand but there are certainly some hold-ups to her ascendancy to the big chair. While the true nature of S.W.O.R.D.’s reworking isn’t entirely clear, the idea that they are focusing on sentient weapons could make them a prime candidate to be the MCU’s first mutant monitoring agency. Given the fact that Brand herself is a mutant, that might not work out too well just yet. Of course, the larger issue is that, for the moment we haven’t met Brand yet and so unless she’s coming in from outside the organization, it might be too early to see her.

Henry Peter Gyrich

Gyrich is one of a handful of characters whose continued absence from the MCU is both frustrating and confusing. One of Marvel biggest pricks, Gyrich has been a thorn in the side of Marvel’s comic book heroes for decades in many roles including, at one time, the co-director of S.W.O.R.D. Should the organization’s showdown with the Scarlet Witch turn into a bit of a shitshow, it’s possible that the government might install a guy like Gyrich in a position of power to keep an eye on things from the inside.

Adam Brashear

A surprise pick for sure, but Adam Brashear might be the right choice at the right time. It seems incredibly unlikely we’ll see Brashear’s comic book origin story retold on the big screen but Marvel Studios could certainly come up with a creative way to see the doctor and former Marine become the Blue Marvel after installing him as director of S.W.O.R.D. Brashear’s military background could serve as a great entry point into the organization. As director Brashear could open up Project Perseus and begin investigating the Negative Zone before one of those darned science accidents gifts him with his incredible powers. This would of course, also allow him to meet Monica Rambeau, with whom he’s shared a relationship in the past!

For all we know, Hayward may be the man going forward, but Marvel Studios has a great opportunity to make a change at the top and do so with style!

February 1, 2021
How Monica Rambeau Will Influence ‘WandaVision’s Future Episodes

After rewatching the latest episode of WandaVision, I’ve come to realize I never asked myself the question of why they decided to reintroduce Monica Rambeau in this story specifically. The character has close ties to Carol Danvers, but it seemed surprising they wanted to include her in a series focused on Wanda. Yes, it works to introduce an older version of the character played by Teyonah Parris, but something felt like it was missing. Advertisement showcased her as an essential character for the series. The moment the episode started, it suddenly clicked with me. At that very moment, I realized why exactly she is here and her importance moving forward into the rest of the season.

I will be mainly spoiling the opening of this episode. If you are planning on going in without any spoilers then be sure to return to this article later. Otherwise, continue at your own risk.

The episode opens up with Monica being blipped back into existence. She finds herself in a hospital where everyone is in disarray. Her priority is the empty bed beside her, as she tries to find out what happened to the person she was at the hospital. It turns out, her mother, Maria Rambeau, was fighting cancer. The surgery went well before she got snapped. It is heartbreaking when she finds out that her mother survived before facing a relapse two years later. We see her try to keep her composure, try to return to a normal life, and somehow move on with whatever happened to her. She returns to back to work and is ready to take on her old tasks again. Instead of falling into the tragedy, she accepts it and tries her best to move on.

Her journey is a counterpoint to that what made Wanda bring Vision back to life. They both lost someone very dear to their heart, but one couldn’t let go. It leads to some questionable decisions that are still unknown in how far they go. Monica is here to become the emotional anchor that probably leads to the final decision of the show. Her experience of loss could help Wanda learn the same lesson. It is her chance to learn that forcing something to exist won’t make the pain go away. The ending of this episode highlights that aspect of her journey moving forward.

We don’t know exactly where they are going with this yet, as we still have five more episodes to go. Monica is returning in Captain Marvel 2, so some story elements might get a focus later on. Still, the main character of this story is Wanda and her grief. It may also be what brought together an unlikely pairing of characters that would turn an entire town of New Jersey into a sitcom. Marvel Studios’ first venture into long-form storytelling feels unrestricted in many ways but still part of an ever-expanding franchise. I cannot wait to see what the future has in store for us in next week’s episode.

January 29, 2021
‘WANDAVISION’ Shows Its Hand

In just 34 minutes Episode 4 of WandaVision, “We Interrupt This Program”, managed to shit on pretty much every popular fan theory, integrate some key pieces of MCU history and clarify the direction of the series, setting fans up for what looks to be one of the biggest heel turns in Marvel Comics history making its way into the MCU. While there’s a chance Marvel Studios could be giving us all a big okey-doke, it seems like we’ve seen what we need to see to know that depending on what side of the story you’re on, the bad guys are either Wanda or S.W.O.R.D. Let’s dissect how “We Interrupt This Program” gets us there.

Nobody is Anybody

Probably the biggest reveal of the series so far is that everyone in Westview, other than Wanda, Vision and presumably Agnes, is just Joe Schmoe. Herb’s not the High Evolutionary, Bev isn’t Bova, Norm’s not the Grim Reaper and Phil isn’t Wonder Man. I suppose there’s still a chance the Dottie could be SOMEBODY, but at this point, Occam’s Razor would lead us to believe that none of these neighbors are anything other than puppets in Wanda’s new reality, as Arlyn Murphy predicted earlier this week. On the surface, we get a cute little sitcom, but the larger reality is that Wanda is essentially responsible for the abduction of a large number of real human beings for the purpose of making her fantasy a reality. These people are being held captive and having their memories altered or erased.

S.W.O.R.D. is on the Case

The episode deftly integrated some key pieces of information about S.W.O.R.D. into its first few minutes and, by doing so, made it clear that they are a well-established organization that has redefined itself a bit after the Blip. We’ve always known S.W.O.R.D. was in the series, but by devoting an entire episode to the organization, Jac Schaeffer and Matt Shakman have made it clear that they are the “big bad” from Wanda’s point of view. It’s not Hydra; it’s not AIM; it’s just S.W.O.R.D.

We get some key pieces of info during the episode that explain some of the things fans have been questioning since the beginning. We see that the bubble around the town of Westview is hexagonal and hexagons have been omnipresent throughout the series. As I mentioned in our first episode of The Universal Church of Truth, the way they continually framed Wanda and Vision with hexagons made it seem like they were contained within one, something I attributed to Wanda’s “hex” powers from the comics. This episode seems to support that and it also lends credence to an old scoop that we shared which indicated that Wanda’s reality-altering powers from the comics would come into play in WandaVision.

We’ve seen hints throughout the first 3 episodes but now it’s made clear that S.W.O.R.D. is investigating this hex bubble and Wanda clearly views them as a threat to her reality. We saw the cracks starting to form in Wanda in the last episode, but today’s perspective shift made it crystal clear: S.W.O.R.D. is the enemy and Wanda has already assaulted an agent.

Agnes

While there were other people (most noticeably Dottie) whose “real” identities weren’t revealed, it’s no mistake that we don’t have a real-world match for Agnes. Ever since she was cast, people have expected Kathryn Hahn to be Agatha Harkness and she certainly has a much meatier role here than helping Wanda with dinner. If you’re not asking, “Why in the hell is Wanda in New Jersey in the first place?”, then you should. And while we don’t have a clear answer at this point, the chances are good that it has something to do with Agatha.

Given what we know about Wanda so far, she shouldn’t be capable of something like this massive hex that seems to be altering reality, wiping the minds of people both inside and outside the bubble and releasing a massive amount of energy in the form of the cosmic microwave background radiation so neatly explained by Dr. Darcy Lewis (and now the most likely explanation for the impending powers of Monica Rambeau). Thanks to the lessons of the Ancient One, we know MCU magic is all about energy manipulation and it seems like that’s what is happening here, meaning someone had to teach Wanda some magic and that someone is Agatha. I expect we’ll get quite the exposition on her sooner rather than later, but I’m sure she’s Wanda’s teacher and the reason why Kevin Feige told us all so many times that WandaVision will give us the MCU’s true Scarlet Witch.

Wanda as the Villain

The signs have been there all along that Wanda will stop at nothing to keep her reality intact and we’ve already covered some of the darker decisions Wanda has made. In addition to kidnapping people, altering their memories and attacking a S.W.O.R.D. agent, she rewound time and maybe erased the S.W.O.R.D. beekeeper after she and Vision discovered him. She continues to stop Vision from investigating. She’s willing to lie to Vision repeatedly to keep him living the fantasy, but in one of the show’s creepiest moments yet, she received another reminder of the world she’s attempted to escape when we briefly saw the synthezoid corpse of her husband appear (is Wanda toting Vision’s corpse around with her?!). If she hasn’t lost it entirely, she will soon. We’ve heard the moment from the trailer where Wanda and Vision decide to fight for their home and that means that we are likely to see a full-on attack on S.W.O.R.D. in the final two episodes of the series. Wanda before magic was plenty powerful to nearly kill Thanos. This new and improved Wanda is going to be way out of S.W.O.R.D.’s league, even if Monica is powered up or if she finds herself going up against her own husband. Think Avengers: Disassembled.

Who You Gonna Call?

Over a year ago, I shared a rumor about Benedict Cumberbatch appearing in WandaVision. While a lot of people had happy thoughts about him delivering the twins, others of us have had a different idea in mind: the Sorcerer Supreme is going to have to come into play to protect the real reality by taking down Wanda. We know Wanda’s story will continue into Doctor Strange: In the Multiverse of Madness and we know that she’s the key to breaking open the multiverse, turning the MCU into the MCM (Marvel Cinematic Multiverse). Avengers Disassembled again provides an excellent example of what we might expect when the Sorcerer Supreme faces off with the Scarlet Witch (even though I can’t hear that “NO.” from Wanda on the page, it somehow sounds a lot like the “No” from episode 2).

Wanda’s heel turn in the pages of the comics while not well received by everyone, was one of the very few times that the Avengers were not only helpless but also terrified. I imagine the same will be true in the final episodes of WandaVision, though I’m less sure that her villainous turn will carry on after the series concludes. Either way, it seems as though Episode 4 has made the path forward for the series pretty clear. Sure there are going to be some twists and turns, but this episode seems to have laid out the main components of the plot and given us quite a bit to look forward to over the next 5 episodes.

January 29, 2021
6 Forgotten MCU Characters Who Could Appear in ‘WANDAVISION

In case you weren’t aware, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is quite big. Since its modest inception in 2008, the franchise has grown to include a seemingly endless list of names and faces as part of it’s character roster. One might think this would make it easier for incoming writers to pick and choose who they want to play a role in their story, but a recent Digital Spy interview with WandaVision creator Jac Schaeffer has confirmed that isn’t exactly the case. Schaeffer, who also worked as a writer and producer on the series, revealed that Marvel Studios does not allow “free rein” on which characters a writer can use in their project, and instead supplied her with a larger list of “suggested” names to implement in her plot. This strategy definitely makes more sense than some might give it credit for, considering the MCU would probably fall apart pretty quickly if every film and series were allowed to have Iron Man or Captain America as part of the cast.

Luckily for the showrunner, she was able to use everyone she wanted, even managing to bring back Randall Park and Kat Dennings as Jimmy Woo and Darcy Lewis, respectively. The revelation that Marvel has a list of characters not currently planned for use sheds new light on comments made by Marvel boss Kevin Feige over a year ago, when he told viewers of a Reddit AMA that he enjoys bringing back characters some may have previously thought forgotten. The unexpected return of Darcy and Woo seemed to prove that concept, with the former not having been mentioned since 2014’s Thor: The Dark World and the latter feeling like a one-off reference in 2018’s Ant-Man and the Wasp, but Feige took it all a step further when he shocked fans with the Investor Day announcement of Tim Roth reprising his role as the Abomination for Marvel’s upcoming She-Hulk series. The actor hadn’t appeared since his debut in the role in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk, a film often thought of as the MCU’s red-headed step-child. Now that it feels like any return may be possible, let’s take a look at a few other “forgotten” characters that could make their grand re-entry in WandaVision, or beyond:

Dr. Helen Cho

Wait, who?: Appearing only once before in Avengers: Age of Ultron (played by Claudia Kim), the good Dr. Cho is presented as one of the world’s leading geneticists, head of the U-GIN Research Group, and a friend of Dr. Bruce Banner. Normally based in her home country of South Korea, Dr. Cho traveled to Avengers Tower in New York City to help patch up an injured Clint Barton, and had multiple close-up encounters with the villainous Ultron. The robotic menace even used Loki’s scepter to manipulate her into helping him create a new body, until Wanda severed his hold and Dr. Cho heroically put a stop to the upgrade.

Why WandaVision?: From what we know so far, it seems the creation of S.W.O.R.D. involved recruiting some top names from other organizations. Jimmy Woo seems to have transferred from his position at the FBI, and Darcy Lewis has apparently graduated from her political science program at Culver University. Therefore, it stands to reason that the new government agency may reach out to the world’s leading brain in genetics, especially with all that potential to study alien life. If nothing else, with the current situation happening in Westview and the mysterious reappearence of the previously dead Vision, the organization might want to speak with the woman who was directly involved with Vision’s creation in the first place.

If not WandaVision, where?: If Marvel were to bring Helen Cho back anywhere other than WandaVision, it would make sense to do it in She-Hulk. Dr. Cho is a friend of Bruce Banner, after all, and he may need her help again when his cousin requires an experimental blood transfusion. It also doesn’t hurt that Cho’s son in the comics, Amadeus, is a genius sidekick with strong ties to the Hulk mythos.

Mitchell Carson

Wait, who?: Introduced in Ant-Man as the former Head of Defense at S.H.I.E.L.D. and one of the many enemies made by Hank Pym over the years, he was later revealed to be a secret agent of HYDRA, ousted off camera during the events of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. When Scott Lang infiltrated Pym Technologies to steal the Yellowjacket suit, he found Carson attempting to strike a deal with Darren Cross to purchase it for HYDRA. While that deal didn’t end up happening, Carson did manage to escape Pym Technologies during an ensuing scuffle with a vial of Pym Particles. Many expected this plot thread to be continued in the film’s sequel, but the dastardly agent hasn’t been seen in the MCU since.

Why WandaVision?: We still don’t know who or what is behind whatever it is that’s happening to Wanda Maximoff, and while it seems unlikely, I wouldn’t completely rule out HYDRA from the mix. If the recurring group of baddies should make a return, it would make sense for them to use a familiar face for the big reveal. Perhaps Mitchell Carson and his stolen Pym Particles have played a role in the shenanigans in Westview?

If not WandaVision, where?: If actor Martin Donovan is ever to return to his role elsewhere, it would probably be the recently announced threequel, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, for obvious reasons.

Justin Hammer

Wait, who?: C’mon, there’s no way you forgot about this guy. A fan-favorite character portrayed by the brilliant Sam Rockwell and perhaps the best part of Iron Man 2 (that’s subjective but it’s also not), Justin Hammer was the smooth-talking, stage-dancing business rival of Tony Stark, and one of the film’s main villains. Determined to get the best of Stark, he used the resources of his company, Hammer Industries, to break Anton Vanko out of prison and create the Hammer Drone army that laid waste to the 2010 Stark Expo. He also innovated the MK. II Iron Man armor to create the original design for War Machine, faulty as it may have been. Hammer was eventually sent to prison after his criminal activities were exposed by Natasha Romanoff and Pepper Potts, and we got a brief glimpse of his life there in 2014’s short film, All Hail the King.

Why WandaVision?: If S.W.O.R.D. is anything like General Thunderbolt Ross, they may just attempt to blast their way through the mysterious wall surrounding Westview. This would not be a task that could be completed by ordinary weaponry, and with Tony Stark having recently passed away, they may have to turn to the prison consultations of one Mr. Hammer, weapon extraordinaire. However unlikely, one can dream, right?

If not WandaVision, where?: Although not confirmed, it seems incredibly likely that Rockwell will be back as Hammer for Armor Wars on DIsney+. The series will be based on the comic series of the same name, which features a far less agile Justin Hammer stealing Tony Stark’s technology and selling it to a wide array of iron-clad villains. While the adaptation may take a different approach, it would make more sense for them to use the character they already set up over a decade prior.

Samuel Sterns

Wait, who?: Only appearing in The Incredible Hulk, Samuel Sterns was a cellular biologist at Grayburn College who contacted Edward Norton‘s Bruce Banner via online chat with a potential antidote for his unique green rage monster disease. This outreach, and a military raid, led Banner to come out of hiding in South America and return to New York to find Sterns, who was ultimately unable to rid Bruce of the Hulk. He was, however, revealed to have a very large blood collection and ended up being cornered into helping Emil Blonsky accelerate his transformation into the Abomination. The film’s ending included a cliffhanger in which some gamma-infected blood drips into a cut on Sterns’ head, which begins his journey towards becoming the big-brained comic book villain, The Leader. Unfortunately, the plot thread has never been addressed again.

Why WandaVision?: The Leader is no stranger to crafting large domes to accomplish his goals, and with no villain yet revealed, maybe he’s behind this one as well? It’s been theorized that AIM, the sketchy science group founded by Aldrich Killian in Iron Man 3, is responsible for the technology surrounding the town of Westview, and it wouldn’t be far fetched to say that a group so grounded in knowledge could use a Leader with a big head. With Abomination already confirmed to appear again in the MCU, it doesn’t seem like Incredible Hulk characters are off the table.

If not WandaVision, where?: The project that would make the most sense is clearly She-Hulk, which could be on track to reunite the classic comic book duo of Leader and the Abomination. However, one might not rule out an appearance in the tech-based Armor Wars, which again, still doesn’t have an announced villain. After all, why wouldn’t Marvel Studios want Tim Blake Nelson back as a fully-fledged villain?

Betty Ross and Leonard Samson

Wait, who?: More Incredible Hulk characters, the former love interest of Bruce Banner and her former love interest, both doctors at Culver University. Betty Ross is the daughter of Secretary of State Thaddeus Ross and a former employee of Harvard, who worked on gamma radiation with Banner. The two fell in love, and she was present when his transformation to the Hulk first occurred. She was once the only person who could calm the Hulk down, and she aided Bruce in hiding from her father when he came back to NYC. Bruce left her behind when he realized he was too much of a danger for her safety, and she hasn’t made another appearance since. As for Samson, he become romantically involved with Betty during her and Bruce’s time apart. He didn’t do much else in the film, but in the comics, Samson finds himself evolving due to gamma exposure, and becomes known as the hero Doc Samson.

Why WandaVision?: Much like my suggestion with Dr. Cho, it would make sense for S.W.O.R.D. to potentially recruit some of the American educational system’s top minds in their early days. After all, the organization hired former graduate Darcy Lewis. Besides, Ty Burrell would fit well into the episodes based on 2000’s era sitcoms.

If not WandaVision, where?: This is another She-Hulk situation, which Marvel may use to tie-up lose threads from the Incredible Hulk.

Ian Boothby

Wait, who?: You didn’t think I’d forgotten about Ian, did you? Ian Boothby was Darcy Lewis’ unofficial official assistant in Thor: The Dark World. Doing her dirty work as assistant to the assistant manager, he ended the film by passionately kissing Darcy.

Why WandaVision?: It could maybe be assumed that Darcy and Ian’s romance has ended by the time of WandaVision, but I’ve seen no proof of this. One can only hope they’re still happily together, and if that’s the case, there’s nothing stopping him from showing up to work to visit the love of his life (or even work for S.W.O.R.D. himself).

If not WandaVision, where?: I just shook a Magic 8 Ball, and it said “not likely”.

January 29, 2021
‘WANDAVISION’ Episode 4 Primer

We can all agree that the third episode of WandaVision, “Now in Color”, had a LOT going on. Wanda’s pregnancy goes VERY fast. Vision senses that something is wrong, but when he starts trying to tell Wanda, the scene rewinds and starts over. By the end of the episode, Wanda and Vision have the two baby boys, formally known as Billy(Wiccan) and Tommy( Speed). In the comics they are part of the Young Avengers. Billy has the powers that his mother has, and Speed has the same powers as Pietro. Let’s go to Geraldine’s role in the show. Right from the beginning, we could tell she was a little weird; Agnes and Herb add to that by saying that she doesn’t have a house or a family. When she was with Wanda she somehow knew about Pietro being killed by Ultron. How does she know this? An angry Wanda kicks her out of whatever reality they are in. At the end of Vision, Agnes, and Herb’s conversation Herb says something like “We’re all…” but never finishes the line. What could he be saying?

I think that Westview is a real town and Wanda just took it over and made everyone puppets in her very own world. She made a perfect paradise for her and her family. She did all this so she could live a perfect life with the twins and Vision. Sometimes Vision starts saying things that might ruin her paradise and she simply makes it so it never happened. So obviously Vision thinks that something is wrong but Wanda makes it so he never gets to finish those thoughts.

Arlyn’s Assumptions

Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany both say this next episode is mind-blowing and something huge is going to happen. Olsen says that it is a change in perspective. These past three episodes have been in Wanda and Vision’s perspective inside this bubble they are in. Maybe in this next episode, the perspective will shift to someone outside the bubble. As seen in the trailer Monica is outside of the bubble and reaches her hand in it. Also seen, the beekeeper guy that shows up is not in a beekeeper suit when he enters the bubble. This shift is mostly likely shifting into what’s happening from S.W.O.R.D.’s perspective.

January 28, 2021