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.
The latest episode of Marvel’s WandaVision may have been packaged with a hidden teaser for the show’s future that most of us weren’t even looking for. So far, Marvel Studios’ maiden foray into the world of television has come without the creative giant’s customary post-credit scenes. You know, those minute-long tidbits that lead us to linger several moments in the theater for a peak at what’s to come? Well, the third episode of the series, “Now in Color”, didn’t have one of those little scenes, but the credits did finish with a bit of a recommendation. It seems Marvel was really hoping you’d give up a little time to watch Avengers: Age of Ultron before you continue along with the mind-bending adventures of Vision and the Scarlet Witch.
*Spoilers for WandaVision*
There are a lot of simple reasons why Disney+’s algorithm may have decided to advertise the second Avengers film at the conclusion of thatWandaVision episode. After all, Age of Ultron was the Marvel Cinematic Universe project that introduced both Wanda Maximoff and Vision, and “Now in Color” contained a major reference to the climax of the film, with “Geraldine” commenting on the death of Pietro Maximoff at the cold, metallic hands of Ultron himself. The more interesting explanation, however, could be that WandaVision will make an effort to continue the major theme of Ultron; confronting demons. Eventually maybe literally, but for now, I just mean figuratively. One of the major plot points of Wanda Maximoff’s debut appearance is her ability to mess with other people’s minds, forcing them into dream-like states they can’t escape. The unfortunate souls on the receiving end of this magic travel ticket find themselves facing down their deepest, darkest fears and insecurities. Of course, we’re still a long way off from finding out what’s really going on with Wanda in her current starring vehicle, but if Marvel is actually trying to tell us something with that sneaky “watch next” suggestion, it would make a lot of sense for it to have something to do with the dream-world power we haven’t seen in action since 2015.
Thus far on WandaVision, we’ve seen Wanda doing her best to live a happy life in a picture perfect town. And yet, despite her best efforts, she’s occasionally put in the position of preventing the real world (because I think it’s safe to assume Westview isn’t real) from seeping in. It seems clear she’s giving the age-old tactic of suppressing trauma the old college try. Unfortunately for her, conventional storytelling would indicate she won’t be able to do it much longer. At that point, in my opinion, WandaVision is going to pick up where Age of Ultron left off, and Wanda is going to have to face all those demons if she wants to survive herself. Now, let me turn your attention to the film that brought us here.
The subtle genius behind the Avengers sequel script is the way it inverts the objective of the previous film to become a little more personal. Whereas the original is a story of our heroes learning to cope with each other to function as a team, the sequel is about them learning to cope with themselves in order to continue functioning. Over the course of the movie’s two and a half hour runtime, each prominent character is forced to confront their greatest personal demon, via some witchy business, and attempt to come out the other side better for it. And you know what? It’s all done brilliantly. It turns out that, just like Disney+, I think you should rewatch Avengers: Age of Ultron, and you should do it with this theme of personal demons in mind. I think it just might change how you see the MCU’s Phase Two. Here’s a quick rundown of what goes on for each major player in Ultron, according to the topic, so you can keep it in mind when you hit play (presented in pairs, for convenience).
Iron Man & Ultron – Ego
This is the obvious one, so let’s get it out of the way. Tony Stark’s greatest demon is his own ego, or more specifically, his narcissism. He holds a firm belief that he is the only person who can truly save the world, permanently, and if he doesn’t, everyone’s deaths will be on him. This is apparent in several spots over the course of the story. His Wanda-induced nightmare features Cap directly telling Tony that he failed the world, and he goes as far as to tell Nick Fury that the Avengers have found themselves at the end of a path he started them on. So, the man creates Ultron, a literal manifestation of his own overcompensation. He basically gives his ego a body. Ultron also firmly believes only he can save the world, to the point of operating with an army comprised entirely of himself. The lesson Tony learns from all of this is that sometimes he needs to listen to the advice of others, and it’s this acceptance of teamwork that leads to Ultron’s defeat. Oh, and in the spirit of inverse, the movie even goes an extra length to present Stark as Ultron’s demon, in oedipal fashion.
Captain America & Thor – Destiny
Steve Rogers and Thor Odinson have perhaps one of the most unique relationships in the MCU. Aside from their now famous moments of mid-battle banter, both are soldiers who feel somewhat displaced. Rogers is a man forced out of his own time, while Odinson is a god who feels most at home among mortals. Age of Ultron plays off of this dynamic splendidly, as the two Avengers find themselves facing a crisis of destiny. Their nightmare sequences find them both at parties in locations they know they should call home. Cap hallucinates a group of WWII soldiers slain in war, whom he feels he should have been around to protect, and the love of his life still begging him for a dance. Thor finds Heimdall waiting for him with a foreboding message of a coming doomsday the God of Thunder is not around to prevent. The duo spend the film carrying with them the weight of guilt, contemplating whether they have cheated themselves out of their intended fates, and whether or not those they care about have suffered because of it. The difference between the two arcs is that while Thor struggles with his future, Rogers struggles with his inability to change the past. Ultimately, Steve commits to building a life in the present, accepting his role as a modern soldier, and Thor realizes that saving Asgard might be the key to saving all Nine Realms.
Black Widow & Hulk – Humanity
A tale of two people who see themselves as monsters. Natasha Romanoff, because she was once willing to sacrifice her future in order to become a better killer, and Bruce Banner, because sometimes when he’s mad he literally turns into a giant green rage monster. They’re both heroes who are concerned they’ve done too much harm to ever balance out with good, and they cling to each other so that they might feel just a little more human. Luckily for them, they’re actually more human than most at heart, and they’re able to see each other for who they really are. Despite magic-induced flashbacks to her time in the Red Room, Natasha spends most of the film bringing a much-needed sense of humanity to her teammates. She makes lighthearted jokes with Clint while he’s down and out, has his kids calling her “Aunty Nat”, and even manages to talk down a raging Hulk. When she has a chance to disappear and start a new life, she instead chooses to help save the world. In the end, Nat realizes that she never sacrificed a future, but has actually forged a new one with chosen family. Banner, on the other hand, opts to remove himself from the equation, and retreats to parts unknown.
Hawkeye & Quicksilver – Mortality
Clint Barton has maybe the second-most prominent demon in the movie, and it’s his own mortality. The character study is set up early, when Hawkeye finds himself unable to keep up with the Avengers’ newest super powered antagonist, Quicksilver, and winds up bleeding on the ground because of it. This is followed by a string of plot points and throwaway moments that just repeatedly punch you in the face with the concept of Clint Barton being a lot less indestructible than his teammates. Not only that, but Barton is revealed to have a family, which makes the challenge to stay alive all the more important. It acts as a foil for basically everyone else’s self-centered problems, and really highlights just how resourceful Hawkeye has been this whole time. It’s also juxtaposed wonderfully against the plight of Pietro Maximoff, an enhanced individual who is still coping with the death of his family. It makes it all the more surprising when a morally rejuvenated Quicksilver sacrifices himself to save Hawkeye, who accepts his mortality and attempts to ride off into the sunset with his loved ones.
Vision & Scarlet Witch – Trauma
Ever since her debut, the MCU’s take on Wanda Maximoff has been motivated mostly by past trauma. She loses her parents, and the emotions she feels fuel her to team up with Ultron. She is born from an act of terrorism and inadvertently finds herself acting as a weapon of a terrorist. Then, in the midst of trying to recompense, she loses her brother. It’s a lot for one person to bottle up inside, which we see when she drops to her knees and completely obliterates a small army of Ultron bots, before ripping the heart out of Ultron himself. After all she goes through, who else could possibly understand her pain? Only another child of trauma, Mr. Vision Vision (which I assume is his full name). He may be a synthezoid, but Vision was created using the brain patterns and powers of multiple men all trying to deal with what it means to be human, which could have gone horribly wrong, but instead resulted in a soulful figure with a deep understanding of failure. He ends up saving Wanda’s life, and who knows? She might have saved his as well.
From this point forward, Wanda only experiences more and more trauma. She accidentally causes the demise of countless innocents in Captain America: Civil War, and she loses Vision twice (once by her own hand) in Avengers: Infinity War. This is true for the other characters mentioned above, but unlike the heroic giants she’s surrounded by, Wanda has had trouble fully reconciling with her past. That thread hasn’t been tied up just yet. Expect WandaVision to change that.
This week’s installment of WandaVision took us to another decade as the story was set in the fully-colored sitcom world of the 1970s. The transition from the black-and-white palette of the two premiere day episodes to this comparative rainbow of an aesthetic was far from the only change in the manner the decade of choice’s sitcom elements played into, though, so let’s take a look at how WandaVision tackled the era of the Third Great Awakening.
Now in Color
I’ve already mentioned how this episode was the first time during the series in which we saw color other than the credits and ending of Episode 2. I appreciated that the palette of the 1970s was different from the one for the scene we saw at the end of the 1960s. That one was more muted with lots of neutrals like white, beige, and plenty of shades of brown, with only the colors seen on the characters and their clothing really popping out (most notably, the purple of Vision skin and the red of Wanda’s lips and clothing).
Conversely, the 1970s is full of bright hues from Wanda’s multicolored striped number to many of the walls in the house. However, what I appreciated about this was that the designers went with colors that were particularly big in that decade, with plenty of yellows and oranges abound, as well as some darker greens and lighter blues. Here’s hoping that now that the show is in color, these deliberate palette decisions will continue every week to match the era.
A Less Derivative Approach
Aesthetically, the episode does a bang-up job at capturing the 1970s, especially the hairstyles and aforementioned color choices. When it comes to the area of sitcom-specific material, though, the episode is pretty light on that compared to the first two. A lot of Marvel fans have been waiting for more emphasis on the action and mystery elements of WandaVision, and while we got that this week the majority of the show was still rooted in the sitcom antics but didn’t feel like it was supposed to be paying homage to other shows for the most part.
There are only two very obvious references to specific shows here: the house inspired by The Brady Bunch (which isn’t quite an exact recreation but it’s clear that an homage to the show is what they’re going for) and the theme song similar to The Partridge Family’s “Come on Get Happy”, which can actually be heard in Marvel’s own Ant-Man and the Wasp. Unlike the previous two episodes it’s mostly just the music that’s similar; since the entire Partridge Family opening sequence consists of animation and stylized photos the only specific visual emulated in this opener is The Mary Tyler Moore Show’s sprawl of colored copies of the program’s name before transitioning into live-action footage.
Unlike the first two decades, there’s no specific episode of a classic 70’s series like The Brady Bunch or The Jeffersons I could point to as the inspiration for this episode’s storyline. It seems like it’s almost supposed to be an homage to pregnancy and childbirth storylines, which have been present on sitcoms ever since their inception (though this episode is far enough along into the decades to allow the characters to acknowledge the pregnancy directly without having to dance around it with terms like “expecting” like they did back in the 1950s). I think this is actually a better method as it allows WandaVision to carve out its own identity rather than present itself as simply a tribute to old shows, but to do this after two episodes with more specific references makes this one feel as if there’s just a little something missing and I wish they would have just gone their own way a bit more from the get-go.
The Dilemma of The Decade
As I said, I appreciate the show going its own way with this episode but I think part of the way the sitcom elements contribute to the overall story is each potentially highlighting or offsetting a certain mood or attitude present in its episode. Ideally, this wouldn’t be directly lifting a story from a sitcom episode from that era, more like how the “wholesome” 1950s showcased Wanda and Vision’s innocence to the whole situation, and the changing attitudes of the 1960s taking the episode from silly fun to giving us (and the characters) a bit more of a hint as to the overall plot; the beds moving together and color being added to this world is intercut with clues as to what might really be going on.
This sort of thing isn’t really present in the 70’s episode, but the creators were probably in a tough spot here. The sitcom eras naturally have to go in order (at least for now, since it appears Wanda will discover the ability to mix them up at some point as showcased by some of the trailers) so the birth of the babies had to happen now. But unlike the decades before and after it, the 1970s didn’t really have a lot of iconic sitcoms with babies in them, even ones focusing on family dynamics like the aforementioned Brady Bunch and Partridge Family.
Women had also gained many opportunities in the working world by this point (which was nodded to in this week’s WandaVision via Geraldine telling a story about her job promotion) and things like divorce and single-parenthood were much less taboo. Therefore, a lot of the most popular shows of the era were workplace sitcoms like The Mary Tyler Moore Show, politically charged ones like All in the Family and Maude, or shows featuring non-nuclear family living situations like Diff’rent Strokes, Three’s Company, or The Odd Couple. So it’s understandable why the episode’s storyline doesn’t utilize a lot of 70s-based tropes, as they didn’t really fit with the whole childbirth plot.
Hopefully, WandaVision will be able to find a nice balance between paying homage to shows of the past, telling its own story, and including more creepy and mysterious elements in its remaining three sitcom era-based episodes.
Like a lot of MCU fans, for some time I’ve been trying to figure out what is going on in WandaVision. Where’s this series heading? What’s Wanda’s state of mind? Who is the villain of the show? How will this lead into Doctor Strange: In the Multiverse of Madness? How exactly is Vision alive? Is he alive? How will Monica get her powers? What will happen in the last big final battle? How might mutants figure into this show, if at all? And how can everything fit together to make a coherent story?
Possible major spoilers for WandaVision below!
To be clear, the following is based on my own speculation, based on trailers and such that is already out there, not insider information. That being said, after a lot of thought about a lot of things WandaVision, I believe I’ve figured out one key piece to the puzzle. I believe Wanda will attempt to recreate the Mind Stone in the hopes of making her fantasy life with Vision and her children a reality. This will very, unfortunately, backfire on her, in spectacular fashion, as is seen in some WandaVision trailers. The destruction of this Mind Stone will likely create the mess that awaits Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, may open a door for Billy and Tommy and maybe even Papa Vision to survive the series, could tie into Monica gaining powers, and quite conceivably could inadvertently lead to the creation of more mutants. The latter making Wanda Maximoff, in a way, the mother of all mutants. Kevin Feige really does love Wanda, doesn’t he?
You may have some questions about how I came to these conclusions, so if you’re curious, please read on…
As I mentioned, I’ve been mulling over many aspects of WandaVision for a while now. Utmost in my mind was: How is Vision alive? Is he really alive or her imagination? Is he of his own free will or not? In regards to the last question, there are lots of hints and clues within the show so far, pointing both to Vision having some free will within the sitcom fantasy, and to him being under Wanda’s control. His restraint was shown during their dinner with the Harts, his looking to Wanda for her okay to help, when Mr. Hart was clearly in danger of choking to death, being chief among them. As I mentioned in an article about this last week, we all know if Vision was fully in control he would have helped Mr. Hart right away. Another moment comes up during the third episode, where Vision begins to think something is wrong during his conversation with Agnes and Herb. He is exhibiting free will there, in his curiosity and questioning. This appears to be happening again in other trailer footage of future episodes where he seems to be going on his own and investigating things. Considering Wanda would probably not want him to investigate here, this is a clear indicator of free will. It is possible that in the beginning, he had less free will but as time goes by, and he “reboots” so to speak, he begins to exhibit more of his old self, and his own free will to do things that are not necessarily going to make his beloved Wanda pleased.
I say “reboots” as in, yes I think this is Vision’s body, repaired either by Wanda’s own reality-altering powers or through attempts to bring him back without the Mind Stone. The Mind Stone was not, after all, a requirement of him living, it’s just the fact that it was so viciously ripped from his head that he appeared dead. I believe there is no reason to not think that some of Vision’s programming, the essence of who he was, could still be in that body just awaiting a spark of life to bring him back for real. Certainly, there is no reason to think that Wanda would not believe that as well. This is perhaps why we see her at the SWORD facility. She may have been working with them to try to bring him back to life, only to find they could not, and perhaps taking his remains with her for safekeeping until a solution could be found. So if that theory of mine is correct, this might explain why she’s imagining him alive again, and perhaps using her powers to try to bring him back “online.”
Vision and Wanda were always deeply connected not only through the power of the Mind Stone stuck in Vision’s head but through love. So with all of that in consideration, what if because of her love and grief, Wanda attempts to use her powers to bring Vision back to life, and to some extent succeeds in “rebooting” him? And does so to the extent that his body comes to life again, with his personality, and free will, and love for Wanda very much intact? Wanda and Vision are connected through the Mind Stone’s power, even tho it is no longer lodged in his head, there may be residual energy from it infused his is vibranium imbued body. Wanda’s connection to the Mind Stone may be the one thing she has that can actually save him, through repowering and rebooting. But what if that’s still not enough?
What would Wanda do then? And what about her children with Vision that were born in episode three? What if the outside world threatens them? Because it definitely will. What would Wanda do then? I think everyone knows not to mess with a mother protecting her children, and Wanda is certainly no one to mess with, as Thanos himself learned. So what can she do to protect Vision, her children, and their alternate reality with the likes of Monica and SWORD figuratively and literally knocking at her door? What can she do, how can she protect them, and how does this all lead into Doctor Strange: In the Multiverse of Madness?
Some deep thoughts and a rewatch of WandaVision trailers on Youtube later and the solution starred me and Wanda right in the face. Look at that moment in the “Daydream Believer” trailer where Wanda is staring at what appears to be a levitating Mind Stone. One might think it’s a flashback but for the fact that she wouldn’t have seen the yellow stone inside of Loki’s scepter when Hydra was experimenting on her. She appears ragged and distraught, she stares at the seemingly forming stone. It may be a trailer maker’s trick but it seems as if the yellow light and particles and dust are gathering to form the stone in front of her. Then it explodes with a flash, sending Wanda back for a split second in the trailer. It really looks to me as if she’s actually using her powers to form the stone, but she fails and it cracks and explodes in front of her. This is no flashback. It’s her present. If I’m correct about this, there is only one reason why she would attempt to recreate an Infinity Stone, and that’s in a desperate attempt to save Vision and her children.
The Mind Stone appears to form right before Wanda’s and our eyes in the second WandaVision trailer.
Could she even do this? Can she actually form an Infinity Stone? Her stans often refer to her as the “most powerful Avenger” and even Wanda Maximoff superfan Kevin Feige has conceded he thinks she is the strongest Avenger after she nearly took out Thanos in Endgame. That was just because Thanos killed her Vision, she has his kids now. I don’t doubt Wanda will find the strength to do whatever it takes to keep them safe. However, if you can’t quite buy that she could form one with her powers alone, think about this possible route they could take, as set up in Avengers: Endgame. As Thanos pointed out in that film:
Gone. Reduced to atom…. I used the stones to destroy the stones. It nearly killed me, but the work is done.
Technically the Infinity Stones still do exist in the prime MCU timeline, they are merely reduced to dust. Could Wanda, with her very specific and strong connection to the Mind Stone and her incredible powers combined, somehow reach out and pull together the remnants of the Mind Stone from across the universe and form the stone again? Is that an explanation that viewers would accept? I think I would.
It would also prevent the whole issue of having more than one Infinity Stone of the same type in a timeline at once, which I’d think would cause a certain amount of chaos as well. Either way, the Mind Stone exploding, could bring on a catastrophe that creates or opens up various realities, and multiverses among other important, consequential, events for the MCU. Now, I’m aware the stone exploded before, when Wanda destroyed it in Avengers: Infinity War, and nothing seemed to happen as consequence. However, Thanos pushed rewind fairly soon after, so we didn’t really get to see the consequences. Also, some of this might depend on what Wanda’s trying to do with the stone at the time. For instance, if she’s trying to use it to bend reality to the extent that she’s expanding her Westview bubble to encompass the whole world, and the stone explodes due to instability, then that could believably fracture reality, and set up the multiverse for Doctor Strange 2. It may also set up a scenario where Vision, Billy, and Tommy, live beyond the last episode of this series.
In the second WandaVision trailer, the Mind Stone appears to explode in front of Wanda.
Lastly, a note on Mutants and possibly Monica as well. Depending on what exactly Monica and S.W.O.R.D. are up to during the course of the series, it’s possible that Monica gains her powers as a result of the explosion of the Mind Stone, or equally likely as a way to try to combat a certain “scarlet witch” who is angry, protective, and not willing to just talk things out.
As for Mutants, and how they could come into the MCU here, I believe that the effects of the Mind Stone exploding could provide a suitable explanation. Wanda and Pietro are mutants in the comics, even if they are not yet referred to as that in the MCU. Ultron commented in Avengers: Age of Ultron, that they were the only ones who survived Strucker’s experiments with the Mind Stone. There’s been some debate for a while why that was, and whether or not the Maximoff twins were in fact Mutants (even if they weren’t calling them that). It’s long been speculated that the Mind Stone triggered latent abilities in the twins which may be connected to their mutation. This would explain why the twins don’t have the same powers. More recently, I’ve seen many speculate that the HYDRA soak, commercial in the third episode might be a hint at this as well. The “Release the Goddess within” catchphrase is a pretty strong wink to the idea that the Hydra experiments on the twins with the Mind Stone are what unlocked the twin’s latent abilities.
This line of thinking about the twins and the effects of the Mind Stone on them certainly makes the how and why Wanda might “create mutants” much clearer. This notion that Wanda might somehow create Mutants has been around for a while now. How and why has been more difficult to answer. It occurred to me that if exposure to the Mind Stone brought out Pietro and Wanda’s mutant powers, then it would do the same for other Mutants that have not had their powers activated yet.
My first thought was that perhaps Wanda tries to expand her fantasy world’s bubble to encompass the world, and exposure to her powers triggers other mutants. It’s certainly one possible scenario. But then I realized that Wanda may actually be attempting to form a Mind Stone and use it to protect her family. With the Mind Stone exploding in front of her, it appears she was unsuccessful. Now, what if the Mind Stone explosion lets loose a shock wave of the Infinity Stone’s energy throughout the world, and this energy triggers mutant genes in certain humans? What if that’s the last thing we see evidence of during WandaVision? That would be a pretty mind-blowing result and an incredibly exciting note the end WandaVision on, right? And something I think I could and would like to see happening. We shall see.
The Covid-19 pandemic has affected different industries worldwide. And Hollywood is one of those industries that took a heavy hit. Many of these studios are still holding their films back, with many of them having been delayed into 2021 and are now being pushed even further into 2021 or 2022. As the global film industry loses billions of dollars as months push by and these films keep getting delayed, many have been looking at another approach to distributing such projects for the audience to see in a post-pandemic world. At the beginning of the pandemic, studios seemed to be reluctant to release the movie on a different online platform instead of a theatrical release, making it tough for them to choose the right platform to release their films. But, in times of desperation, more and more studios have started to opt for releasing their films on streaming platforms, some even going as far as making a hybrid option to release their films on theaters and streaming platforms on the same day, at no additional cost. And this has been a heavily debated topic during this past year, some calling the move bold and great for fans of these films, while others seem to think otherwise. Well now, it seems that Disney and Marvel may follow suit with the upcoming release of the Black Widow film.
According to Variety, following the slate shift Walt Disney Studios did last week and seeing how the MCU films were practically left untouched, there exists a strong possibility that Marvel Studios could be considering a hybrid release for the first film of Phase 4: Black Widow. What does this mean? Chances are they’re waiting for the release of Raya and the Last Dragon, due out on March 5th. Raya and the Last Dragon is opting for Disney’s first hybrid release, so to speak, by releasing the film in theaters and via Disney+’s Premier Access service on the same day. Depending on how the film does with that hybrid business model, there is now a real possibility that Black Widow could opt for that option as well. And with the weight that this is a Marvel Studios film, chances are that this film could make some real gains in a post-pandemic world.
The film has already been delayed twice this past year, and in any other normal case, the film could be delayed again no problem. But there is a catch and it is ultimately Marvel’s Achilles heel. By having these “Phases” into check, and by pushing the films further and further back, not only would Black Widow be delayed, but that would cause a domino effect that could shift the entire current MCU Slate back. There have been murmurs that the reasoning behind Black Widow‘s delay is due to the contract clauses that some actors have regarding this film, asking for a theatrical release rather than a full Disney+ Premier Access. So now, with this hybrid release becoming a possibility, there may exist a loophole to these clauses and there is a real chance that we could be seeing this on our devices really soon.
We’ve already seen how Wanda is in control of what happens inside the Alternate-Reality Bubble that envelopes Westview. From the way she almost unknowingly affects her surroundings, which then tend to mimic her emotional state, to how she manages to rewind certain moments so that the narrative doesn’t stray too much from the one she had envisioned. One of the times she decided to do the latter was in Episode 3, after the contraction-induced blackout, when Vision seemed to become a bit suspicious about their circumstances. But the most memorable one was during Episode 2 when, after returning home from the talent show, both she and Vision crossed paths with an enigmatic figure dressed as a beekeeper. We got actual graphics and sounds of film rewinding, as the couple returned indoors and the casual meeting was avoided, showing us just how in control of that reality Wanda really is.
Since the Bubble is exactly that, a bubble, Wanda’s powers don’t seem to have any effect on the outside world. We’ve already seen footage of the fields surrounding Westview and, besides the huge military presence, everything seems normal. What remains a mystery about those shots are the tall, floodlight-type devices directed towards the bubble that seem to be holding it back, preventing it from engulfing everything in sight.
And, by keeping the outside world unaffected by Wanda’s powers while Wanda herself is stuck inside the bubble rewinding her narrative at will, this could mean that the outside timeline would become dissociated from the bubble’s. All of this would indicate that even though it seems like mere days have gone by inside the bubble, that could translate into weeks or even months outside, in the real world. This would be a way to explain how everything seems to be moving so fast, from small events like the Hart dinner party to bigger, usually longer and more relevant occurrences like Wanda’s pregnancy.
Wanda’s rewinds only affect each person’s consciousness, so that each of them can forget the situation that prompted the rewind, not their physical body itself. One wouldn’t become 5 minutes younger after a 5-minute rewind, that sort of stuff. This would mean that both Billy and Tommy might have actually been carried to term after all, even if for everybody, us viewers and Vision himself included, it all seems to go by really, really fast. Having this be such a central issue of the show would also provide some context as to why the commercials shown at each episode’s intermission seem to have a common underlying theme: Time.
There are also a few other visual clues that hint at the passing of time not being as conventional as expected. On the “Story Featurette” released by Marvel Studios, we see footage of Geraldine/Monica coming into contact with the bubble for what it seems to be the first time. She’s just outside of town, in pretty much the same place we see her getting thrown out to in Episode 3, just by the town’s Billboard. Here we notice how the surrounding fields are empty, whereas when she gets expelled from the bubble, there’s this huge military compound already set up, something that might have taken more than a few weeks to do. If that early shot was when she first entered the bubble, this might hint that several weeks/months have gone by when she gets out, an idea reinforced by both how the military seem to react to her, as a stranger they don’t know aything about, and her own reaction, like she just woke up from a long dreamlike situation, not recognizing where she was.
Paul Bettany has recently tweeted out that Episode 4 will blow our minds, so maybe in four days, WandaVision will begin to shed a little bit of light on all of this. But having Wanda emerge from the slumber of Westview, years after she first entered it, realizing that the world moved on while she was stuck in time, both literally and metaphorically, mourning the ones she loved and still coming out of it empty-handed, would be something.
After a short excursion last week, John Locke is back in the studio discussing the minerals and metallic wonders of Earth. Wakanda is finally opening up their famous Vibranium mines to the public, while New Asgard seeks the remains of Mjolnir. In a world full of superheroes, there are still many surprises to unveil in the latest episode of LockeDown:
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The mystery has begun to unravel. Westview’s cracks are beginning to show. Wanda’s vision of a seemingly picture-perfect, all-American town is starting to fade. The previous two episodes teased Wanda’s hold on this town and that she may be the one in control. Her selfish motivation is leading her down a dark path. Last week, I theorized that the town could be a malformed version of New Salem and that the inhabitants were members of the coven residing within that town. As such, they quite possibly could be survivors of the Salem Witch Trials. It looks like this week’s episode might be adding to that very theory.
In a previous episode, a brief bit of banter from Agnes mentions that her husband Ralph would not remember their anniversary, which was June 2nd. For those that don’t know, that was the day the Salem witch trials began in 1692. If Agnes is indeed Agatha Harkness, which is the current assumption, that would make Agnes a survivor of those events. Perhaps to save the rest of her coven, she may have made a deal with the devil. The running theme surrounding children in the last two episodes could also connect to her. Any deal with the devil comes at a price. In the comics, her son’s name was Nicholas Scratch. It is the same name she refers to her bunny, who could be her son disguised as an animal. Going by the line from the previous episode, he might also be a sacrifice forced to take that form.
How does this all connect to the latest episode? It has become quite obvious that things are much more off than they were last week in Westview. It is because the episode reveals that Agnes might know much more than she’s letting on. Our nosy neighbor only has a brief appearance in the latest episode. Yet, it is one of the most memorable scenes. She seemed worried about leaving Wanda and Geraldine alone as if something might go wrong. She even interrupts Herb so he won’t reveal anything. I believe this could play right into my theory from last week that the townspeople are members of a coven. The worried look on Agnes’ face comes from the fact that there’s an intruder within their midst who could throw off their entire plan.
It seems to be following the storyline we’ve seen in the comics. Wanda’s children, Tommy and Billy, were shaped from shards of Mephisto’s soul. Mephisto could be crafting the perfect life and family for Wanda to tear it away from her. He wants to break her mind to make her his ally. Mephisto saw an opportunity in Wanda and used her grief to his advantage. I think the main point behind all these events is to misdirect the viewers. So, they make Wanda look like the one in control. In reality, someone else is sitting in the dark and is in full control. It’s just like how Agnes once again referred to her mysterious husband. We are slowly about to unravel the mystery, especially now that we saw how massive S.W.O.R.D.’s operation was around the bubble. We are inching closer to the story behind Agnes’ influence and if the devil is truly in the details.
WandaVision is truly unique among Marvel Studios’ projects. We have gotten used to what defines a Marvel film. Even as they dabbled with different types of genres, it still was somewhat recognizable. Expectations are the set-up So, their first attempt at a TV series on Disney+ took many by surprise. It is a slower-paced show that only offers glimpses of a larger mystery that is lurking underneath the sitcom-inspired facade. At some point, Wanda ends up in a different dimension that shifts through different eras of television comedy. There, we meet a very-much-alive Vision, wh seems oblivious to what is happening around him. Head writer Jac Schaeffer has no interest in holding our hand. It started to remind me of a series that is near and dear to my heart, Lost.
Why am I making this comparison? The simple reason is how both shows approach their format. The J.J. Abrams‘s directed pilot took a similar approach back in 2005. This fact is especially noteworthy in how it builds its overarching mystery. Most of its episode focuses on the character of Jack Shephard. We are distracted by the airplane crash as the primary mystery before the island takes center stage. We retrace his steps, get to know the ensemble cast, and try to figure out how they landed on the island. It wasn’t until later in the episode that we learn of what this series is all about. Just like WandaVision, we get a two-parter to start the series. The first merely hints at something being off before the second starts unraveling it.
Now, with the release of the third episode, the truth is starting to take center stage. Just like Lost, the mystery will take over as the series continues. There is also the existence of a strange governmental facility that features throughout the overarching storyline. The DHARMA Initiative was to the island what SWORD is to Westview, as they seek a way to reach Wanda. The difference is that WandaVision is more subtle in its approach, as no dead pilot is hanging in a tree to warn us of a monster that is hiding. I mean, we almost had a man suffocate on what looked to be a strawberry. In a way, their first Disney+ outing is similar to J. J. Abrams‘ fascination with The Mystery Box storytelling. There are so many different mysteries that connect one way or another, may it be the overall setting, Wanda going through pregnancy in 24 hours, and Vision being alive.
There are tiny details in the background that add to the overall mystery, such as subtle touches in Agnes’ clothes. One of the Lost showrunners, Damon Lindelof carried over this approach into his latest series, Watchmen. If you pay close attention to the set dressing, dialogue, and various other subtle moments you can predict the show’s direction. Schaeffer has done something similar by twisting our familiarity with sitcom tropes and clichés. We know something is wrong but not quite sure what it may be. Even if the first few episodes don’t quite click, the bigger picture or mystery is keeping you going and may enhance previous viewings. We are just at the beginning of opening the mystery box and we’ll see how it comes toge
After a new wave of delays, the future of cinema seems uncertain once more. We are still waiting for another delay or announcement for Marvel Studios’ Black Widow. It already got delayed by an entire year, so it seems likely that it will continue getting pushed back. Disney is still testing out another round with their Premium Access strategy once Raya and the Last Dragon releases in March. They might be waiting out until then. For now, it is uncertain what the future has in store for Marvel. Yet, these delays aren’t stopping them from getting future projects filmed, so they are available for their original release date. As such, we were anxiously waiting for any updates or set photos.
Thor: Love and Thunderis currently preparing to film in Sidney’s Centennial Park. The Daily Mail was able to get a few photos from the film’s production design being built. It may offer us our first real look at what may be one of the many planets visited throughout the film. It looks like they are preparing a desert-inspired biome, so they might cover the background with a green screen.
Comic fans might instantly recognize the background. It looks like they are building the home planet of Gorr the God Butcher, who will be played by Christian Bale in the upcoming film. It would make sense that they explore his backstory, so they might be preparing a flashback or what could even be the opening of the film. It is uncertain what role Gorr will have in the film, as we’ve seen the Marvel Cinematic Universe adapt well-known characters in unique ways. There could even be a chance that Hela makes an appearance, as she was wielding the weapon we commonly connect with the God Butcherer. Hopefully, we might also get a closer look at the set once they officially start filming.
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