Tag: Marvel

The New Normal For MCU Solo Movies
Spider-Man actor Tom Holland recently referred to the upcoming third film in the series as, “the most ambitious standalone superhero movie ever made”. I’m not sure if that’s an accurate statement; the movie is sure to be ambitious, but if the rumors about this film are true it’s hard to think of the movie as a “standalone” picture.

Marvel Studios, like many other franchises, has a tendency to take what fans love about their projects and run with it. Usually they do a better job of it than most; audiences loved the comedy in Guardians of the Galaxy? Let’s bring in more to the other sub-franchises! New markets successfully tapped into with Black Panther and Captain Marvel? Let’s make future content even more diverse and inclusive!

If one aspect of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has stood out above all else, it’s the interconnectivity of it all. The Avengers rocked the world in 2012 and the blockbuster industry has never been the same since. But it was 2016’s Captain America: Civil War that pushed this concept to a whole new level; here was a “Captain America” movie that not only spent nearly equal time focusing on Iron Man, but also featured the majority of the other Earth-based heroes we’d been introduced to in the eight years since the MCU was born, even serving as the introduction to multiple new ones who would soon go on to star in their own solo flicks.

They did something similar in 2017 with Thor: Ragnarok. That film didn’t just feature the two Avengers who weren’t present in Civil War, but included a one-scene appearance from Doctor Strange, who’d made his MCU debut in his first solo movie the previous year. Of course, since then, Marvel Studios has put out even more ambitious crossovers (and become even more popular as a franchise) with the third and fourth Avengers movies, Infinity War and Endgame…and it’s likely that the scale and success of those movies is what has the studio returning to the crossover-in-a-solo-vehicle model for so many Phase 4 projects.

Looking at the film slate alone, at least four of the upcoming solo movies will feature at least one other character who has headlined their own film or Disney+ series:
- The untitled third Spider-Man movie will feature Doctor Strange (and most likely a slew of characters from previous Spidey movie franchises)
- Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will feature Scarlet Witch
- Thor: Love and Thunder will feature (most of) the Guardians of the Galaxy
- Captain Marvel 2 will feature Ms. Marvel
And that’s not even counting characters who have made major appearances in other franchises, like Monica Rambeau, or may do so in the future, like Miss America. It’s pretty obvious that this style of team-up has become the norm for MCU solo movies…or more specifically, MCU solo sequels.

All of the films on the above list will be either the second, third, or fourth solo outing for the characters in question. While we haven’t seen any promotional clips from Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings or Eternals quite yet, both of those films seem to be relatively insular, without a lot of huge nods to previous MCU projects, at least not on the level of the ones listed above.

This is, potentially, very telling of how Marvel Studios plans to balance maintaining audience interest while still being able to bring in new fans, and is likely why the goal seems to be for Marvel Studios to introduce at least one new franchise per year. It appears to be a safe bet that new solo movies starring characters who have yet to have one will be the prime “entry points” for those new to the MCU. Even heroes like Spider-Man and Black Panthers who made their MCU debuts in someone else’s movie had solo films that could be understood by newcomers, though the Tony Stark/Pepper Potts engagement stuff at the end of Spider-Man: Homecoming may have been a bit weird for those not “in the know”.

And once a new hero’s first outing has hooked in those new fans? Anything is fair game. They’re free (at the studio’s discretion) to be crossed over with seemingly any other character and appear in pretty much any MCU project going forward. There isn’t really a safety net of a middle area to bridge the two together, it’s zero-to-100.

We’ve seen this work out when it comes to a singular medium (think of the people who saw Black Panther as their first Marvel movie and a few months later cheered when Wakanda was first shown in Avengers: Infinity War) but it might be trickier to achieve when working across multiple mediums. I have a feeling Marvel’s plan there is to not worry about having to hand-hold the audience when it comes to the Disney+ stuff, except for when introducing a new character; however, they’ll probably be willing to play catch-up for said projects in the movies when need be, the assumption being everyone watching the Disney+ series has seen the films, but the same might not be true the other way around.

This is probably why the scene of Sam Wilson being given the Captain America shield was included in Avengers: Endgame; even though he’s not technically “Captain America” right now, he more than likely will be by the end of the series, and this scene gives the movie-only viewers the context needed to understand why he’ll have taken on the mantle in later big-screen projects. Disney+ debut characters like Ms. Marvel will probably require a bit more catch-up work when they debut in films, but Marvel surely has a plan for this and things will hopefully go smoothly in that regard.

So there we go. There will probably be three “tiers” of MCU movies going forward: solo debuts largely focusing on a single character (or “always-together” group like the Guardians), “solo” sequels featuring team-ups between a few major heroes, and Avengers-level events. Sequels used to be more on a similar level to debut films, but after several aforementioned Phase 3 projects and a wider gap in time between Avengers movies than fans have grown accustomed to, Marvel knows that typical comic book movies aren’t always going to cut it anymore: now that fans have gotten a taste of what’s possible in terms of interaction between their favorite superheroes, they want more. And thus, the bar for “regular” has been raised.
February 7, 2021
Kat Dennings Teases Future Marvel Projects

Here’s a nice little weekend surprise. It seems that Kat Dennings will have a larger role with Marvel moving forward. In an interview with ExtraTV, she let slip that she has already been involved with some things that aren’t WandaVision related. The actress returned for the first time to the franchise in Marvel Studios’ first Disney+ show since her appearance in Thor: The Dark World. Her character Darcy Lewis and Randall Park‘s Jimmy Woo have become some fan-favorites, so there is a lot of hope for her to make a return in some form or another. There is the fact that she doesn’t really especially say that she is involved with Marvel Studios, so there is a chance these are involved with their other ventures.

Marvel has been pushing out various small documentaries on Disney+, such as their 616 series. She also pulled back from saying anything else before getting into any trouble with the infamous Marvel snipers. It would make sense for her to appear in more future Marvel Studios’ projects, as Darcy might become the leading researcher for multiversal effects. She does confirm that she most likely won’t appear in Thor: Love and Thunder, as she has no information on the project and it already has started filming. Teen Wolf‘s Stephen Ford has also shared his interest in pitching an X-Files show that features Jimmy Woo. Dennings would be a perfect addition to the show and here’s hoping that her return signals many more projects in the near future.

https://twitter.com/StephenSeanFord/status/1357847408789495808

If you are interested, you can check out her interview with ExtraTV here:

Source: ExtraTV via The Direct, Twitter

February 6, 2021
‘WANDAVISION’: Putting Together the Pieces

Episode 5 of WandaVision was not only the most well-written, well-executed and exciting episode of Marvel Studios first foray into streamable TV but also the first time the creative team left clues big enough for us to potentially finally put together what exactly is going on in the Maximoff Anomaly. Some of what we saw was fresh and some of what we saw tied back into things we’ve been thinking about since Episode 1. Applying deductive reasoning to Marvel Studios properties can be a lost cause, but given the enormity of what I think I saw yesterday, let’s give it shot.

The Clues

The Reemergence of Wanda’s Accent

When Wanda left the Hex to confront S.W.O.R.D., she not only put on an impressive display of power, she also reverted back to speaking with a Sokovian accent. A hot topic of discussion in 2015’s Avengers: Age of Ultron, the accent waned and essentially disappeared over the course of Wanda’s MCU appearances. Joe and Anthony Russo, who directed Elizabeth Olsen in her 3 most recent MCU films explained that part of the reason her accent had faded was that she had been trained in espionage under Natasha Romanoff; in a 2020 interview with Inidwire, Olsen explained that the accent hadn’t disappeared and that her experiences with the Avengers in the United States had caused it to fade. Hearing yesterday was startling and it was meant to be.

Wanda’s Lack of Control Over the Twins

Episode 3 was the first time we saw it, though it took until Episode 5 to really understand it: Wanda holds no power over her children. She couldn’t postpone their arrival, she can’t control their minds (even as babies) and they are clearly aware of what’s happening in Westview unlike everyone else who is under her power. We’re led to believe Wanda is in charge of everything, but over the course of the episode it becomes entirely clear that is not the case.

Aunite A’s Uncanny Ability to Know Everything

Everyone has been waiting for the other shoe to drop with Kathryn Hahn’s Agnes and it may have finally done so in Episode 5. As Vision not-so-subtly tells us, Agnes seems to have a knack for knowing exactly when to be there for the twins. Somehow she knows they can’t sleep and that they are suddenly in need of a dog house. It’s also no coincidence that in Episode 5, she’s present for both times the twins age up and there when Wanda talks them out of doing it for a third time. If you think back through the earliest episodes of the season, Agnes made several comments about Wanda having children and certainly seems to be incredibly interested in them now.

Dr. Darcy Lewis

WandaVision has brilliantly reinvented Kat Dennings’ Darcy. So far nobody has been more instrumental in understanding what’s going on inside the anomaly than Darcy, both for S.W.O.R.D. and for viewers. Darcy dropped 2 big clues in Episode 5. The first being her cool nickname for the anomaly (the hex) and the second being that Wanda is displaying more power than she’s ever shown before.

Monica’s Comments to Wanda

One of THE biggest hints from Episode 5 also seems to clarify something from Episode 3. During the aforementioned standoff with S.W.O.R.D., Captain Rambeau steps forward to reason with Wanda, mentioning that for someone who is a telepath and therefore should have easily seen through Monica’s “Geraldine”, Wanda was very willing to let Monica in and have her help deliver the twins. It’s also of interest that while Monica was in the house, the normally helicoptery Agnes was reduced to a gossipy bystander.

“I don’t know how any of this started in the first place.” and “I didn’t do that.”

Following Vision’s discovery that Wanda is controlling the minds of the people of Westview, he confronted his wife and refused to back down. What followed was the most protracted discussion about the strangeness of the town to date, including an admission from Wanda that while she is definitely in charge, she doesn’t remember how things started. Not long after that and just as Vision begins to confront Wanda about her wrongdoings, the doorbell rings. These interruptions have been all too common over the course of the show, but Wanda’s admission that she’s not the one doing this paired with her surprise at the arrival of someone claiming to be (but who is certainly not) her brother make it clear that there’s a bigger game afoot.

So What’s Up With Wanda?

I’ve long thought that the folks who complained about the first 3 episodes of WandaVision would be running back for clues they missed when the season was over. I was wrong because Episode 5 is the time to do that because the clues above point in the direction of someone more powerful than Wanda being in charge of what’s going on. As Dr. Lewis pointed out, Wanda has never wielded her power at this level nor manifested it in this way. That points to someone having potentially taught her how to do it, someone with a different connection to the energies of the universe than Wanda’s. While Wanda is certainly controlling the minds of the citizens of Westview, the clues above are enough to convince me that she’s not doing so CONSCIOUSLY.

Wanda reverts back to her accent because she’s being controlled, puppeteered into making that show of power against S.W.O.R.D. So while it’s Wanda talking, it’s Agnes pulling the strings, explaining why the accent Wanda has worked so hard to hide finds its way out. Agnes always knows when to be there or to cause a disruption because she quite literally has a “plant” in the house giving her info. Olsen has referenced the plant in more than one interview which would be really strange if it were just another set prop like a couch or a table.

Darcy and Monica are both onto something significant in Wanda’s ability to manifest new powers and her subconsciously allowing Monica, who she may well view as someone who could help free her from whatever is controlling her, to enter her life. It’s almost certainly their insistence that Wanda is not acting totally of her own volition that will lead to them doing something off books to help her out.

Who Done It?

If someone is controlling Wanda, all signs point to Agnes and to Agnes being Agatha Harkness. Why is Agnes doing this? They told us in Episode 2 and it became pretty clear in Episode 5: for the children. There’s enough evidence to suggest that Agnes is incredibly interested in Wanda’s children, and given Billy’s power set and destiny in the comics, it makes sense that she’d be particularly interested in him. While there’s plenty of evidence to suggest that Agnes is the mastermind behind all of this, the one thing I still can’t quite wrap my head around is how Wanda came into contact with her in the first place. Maybe in an effort to reconnect with someone who knew her parents somehow? Maybe in an effort to find some relief from the many traumas that have shaped her life over the past several years? Whatever the case, her interactions with Agnes aren’t leading down any good paths and I expect things to get worse before they get better. I suppose we’ll all find out together over the next 4 weeks.

February 6, 2021
LockeDown #07: Church of Odin Reveals Its Mischievous True Face

In a world full of uncertainty, LockeDown is there to keep you updated on everything that is happening in the world. In the biggest story of the day, it seems that the Church of Odin had a major secret it was keeping from the rest of the world. Has it destroyed our chance of working with New Asgard? John Locke is back to keep you updated as everything unfolds.

If you enjoyed the episode, don’t miss out on getting early access by subscribing to our Patreon to be one of the first to listen to the next entry:

February 6, 2021
Latest ‘Marvel’s Avengers’ Dev Stream Teases New Iron Man Skin, Roadmap Update, and More
We are only a few weeks away from the Clint Barton reveal, so we couldn’t wait to see what the latest developer stream may reveal about current projects. It certainly did not disappoint this week, as we have a slew of new information and minor updates to tide us over until Hawkeye’s big reveal. So, without wasting any more time, let’s jump straight into the revelations of the latest Marvel’s Avengers datastream:
- We can expect a timing on when the upcoming Clint Barton War Table will release. It is not a stream but a pre-recorded video.
- They revealed another brand new arrow type, the Boomerang Arrows.
- It got confirmed that a developer blog will release next week with details on the new Wasteland environment. We can expect some insight into the design and inspirations for it. The upcoming Blog will mention Omega Level-threats, as Hawkeye will also receive multiplayer content.
- They’ve teased a brand new Iron Man skin with a cape, which could be the Infamous Iron Man design.
- They are looking into animated nameplates.
- King Hulk’s hair will get a fix in the next patch.
- The Roadmap requires the necessary approvals to ensure the release dates. It might not include dates but rather the order of their planned DLC.
- Currently, there are no plans for new vault missions.
- HARM Room improvements and features are in development. It was a response to the potential of customization options, so they are looking into it.
- Multiplayer content is still being looked into, as they want to ensure that everything works.
- They confirmed that more missions are on the way for the Avengers Initiative. In general, their 2.0 plans include loot, progression, inventory upgrades, new interiors, mission structure, and difficulty. A majority of their team is now working on new content moving forward.
- Have also confirmed more weather scenarios for future missions, such as rain.
- They love the idea of adding mini-games into the Helicarrier or other Outposts.
- Future Operations can also include multiple characters instead of just focusing on one, but the main focus is to utilize operations to introduce new characters.
- There was a strong maybe on multiple people playing the same character in the future.
Well, there you have it. I am really excited to see what the Iron Man skin looks like. It sounds like we can expect some other new skins to get added to the store. The 2.0 plans seem to be a massive undertaking for the team, as they aren’t just focusing on loot but most of the aspects that define the Avengers Initiative. Here’s hoping they can nail those in the coming months so we get some insight into what they are working on. Still, it was a very informative War Table, and cannot wait to see what Clint’s War Table has in store for us once it releases.

Source: Twitch
February 5, 2021
‘WandaVision’: Westview is Toying With Vision

WandaVision is a fascinating project for Marvel Studios. It is their first officially released long-form story that spans multiple weeks. After over ten years of films, we’ve come to have certain expectations on what defines a Marvel Studios project. Suddenly, they throw all of that out of the window for a mystery thriller series focused on Wanda and Vision. On top of all that, the show kicked off with three episodes that were primarily sitcoms from the 50s, 60s, and 70s. We then break up the pace by watching people within the Marvel Cinematic Universe watching the show within the hexagon that surrounds Westview. Darcy Lewis is echoing us as viewers that are witnessing everything unfold within the sitcom show. Yet, there something only we can see. It seems that Wanda and the town are desperate to keep Vision in check and distract him from uncovering the truth.

There will be some spoilers for the latest episode. Only continue at your own risk if you haven’t watched the latest episode yet and wish to avoid all spoilers.

Every sitcom episode seems to unravel Wanda’s control over Westview. The initial Dick van Dyke Show tribute only really fell apart in the final few minutes, as Mr. Hart almost suffocated on a strawberry. Yet, if you rewatch the episode, Vision was already suspicious while questioning what exactly his day job was. He was too drunk in the second to notice anything, but once we hit the 70s, reality started to seep in. It was hard enough for him to make sense of his wife giving birth to twins in a matter of hours. Herb cutting through a brick wall without blinking an eye was the last straw for him to realize that something is off. If only Wanda didn’t rewind to ensure he wouldn’t notice. After a short intermission in the MCU, we’ve finally arrived in the 80s.

Here is where things get interesting. Vision still plays along most of the time, but Wanda’s control over the town has mostly fallen apart. Agnes randomly asks if they should redo a shot before returning to the usual format. Wanda uses her magic in public without caring to hide it anymore. I mean, the twins age from babies to 10 years of age within no time at all. Naturally, all of this starts to make Vision question what is happening around him. He manages to break Norm out of Wanda’s control over him to realize what exactly is happening around him. It leads to a confrontation between the two, where we uncover that Vision has no memories of his time before they arrived in Westview. At that very moment, an iconic knock distracts at the perfect time and derail the conversation.

Wanda confirms that she was not responsible for that. In a way, it feels like Westview or the hex that surrounds it was trying to distract them. We might even have evidence that the next episode will do something similar. A major reveal is that Vision notices there are no children in the town. Wanda tries to distract from that question, but it is true. Even with the “For the Children” line from the second episode, we only met the twins. Yet, if you look closely at past trailers for the upcoming Halloween episode, we suddenly see children. We already know it won’t work going by the official teasers, but it may be hinting at a greater force trying to ensure that Vision remains in Westview. There might be a chance Wanda’s new guest could have something to do with it.

Source: YouTube

February 5, 2021
RUMOR: Willem Dafoe Spotted on ‘Spider-Man 3’ Set

Spider-Man 3 is slowly turning into an insane film. In a recent interview, Tom Holland called the upcoming threequel one of the most ambitious standalone superhero films ever made. There is also the report by Variety that claims the film will have a similar setup as the animated film, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. So, it seems pretty clear that we are heading towards a multiversal storyline. We already know a variety of actors joining the production with Alfred Molina being a major highlight. A few months back, Illuminerdi did run a story claiming that Willem Dafoe and Thomas Haden Church were also in negotiations to make a return. Well, it seems that there might be some truth to that rumor.

Geeks Worldwide revealed that a close source of theirs has confirmed that Dafoe was seen on the film’s set. They sadly could not offer any details or confirm which role he might be playing. There is also the question about how big a role he might have, as it could be nothing more than just a brief cameo. Still, it is great to see actors from the original Sam Raimi trilogy make a return in this film.

There is a chance he is either playing Norman Osborn from the original films, a new version of that iconic character, or even someone completely new. The post-credit sequence already kick-started the return of iconic Spider-Man cinematic characters with J.K. Simmons making a grand return as J. Jonah Jameson. So, maybe Dafoe is playing the MCU’s version of Osborn that could have a larger role in future films. At this point, anything is possible with this film and it is just speculation until we get an official word from Sony or Marvel Studios.

Source: GWW

February 5, 2021
‘WANDAVISION’: Twin’s Casting Revealed

The following article will contain spoilers for the fifth episode of WandaVision. Only continue at your own risk if you haven’t seen it yet.

The latest episode of Marvel Studios’ WandaVision brought with it many surprises. It looks like the young actor Julian Hilliard has just made one of the less plot-shattering development’s public. Hilliard took to Twitter to confirm that he, alongside fellow child actor Jett Klyne, has officially joined the cast of Marvel’s debut streaming series. They are both playing the aged-up versions of Billy and Tommy, Wanda and Vision’s twin boys. They take the roles over from Baylen Bielitz and Gavin Borders, who played the future-Young Avengers earlier in the same episode. The casting reveal comes after many fans speculated the twins would find themselves aging rapidly over the course of the show, a theory supported by Wanda’s zany accelerated pregnancy in the series’ third episode. It is uncertain for how long they will be playing these characters going by how fast they were aging throughout this episode alone.

After the episode aired some of the child actors took to Social Media to share their excitement:

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I’m so excited that I can finally announce that my dreams have come true! I have loved #marvel my entire life and I can finally announce that I’m part of the #MCU in @wandavision on @disneyplus 🎉🎉🎉 #Billy #Wiccan #BillyMaximoff #BillyKaplan #BillyandTommy #WandaVision pic.twitter.com/LKJ3WNzki1
— Julian Hilliard (@_JulianHilliard) February 5, 2021

Keeping in tune with the unsettling air of WandaVision, both Hilliard and Klyne will be most recognizable to fans via their previous work in the horror genre. Hilliard was somewhat of a breakout star on Netflix’s surprise hit, The Haunting of Hill House, with his thick glasses and shy demeanor capturing the hearts of viewers as a young Luke Crane. As for Klyne, he starred in the title role of the popular 2016 film, The Boy, chilling the spines of movie-goers as the unusual child Brahms.

The arrival of Billy and Tommy, better known to comic book fans as Wiccan and Speed, signals that the fan-favorite team of Young Avengers may be in the MCU’s future. The two are traditionally portrayed as founding members of the group. It’s also a potential step forward for LGBTQ+ representation in the franchise, should Marvel Studios take that route. Both of the twins were landmark characters for the comic universe in that regard. However, before we all get too excited, and as the show continues to unfurl its many mysteries, I’m left contemplating a question posed by our very own Arlyn Murphy in her latest WandaVision primer: will the twins even be able to stick around once Wanda’s new world comes crashing down? I guess we’ll have to keep watching to find out!

Source: Instagram (Klyne), Instagram (Baylen), Twitter, ScreenRant

February 5, 2021
Edgar Wright’s ‘Ant-Man’ Could Return in Marvel Studios’ Disney+ Era

Just recently, Edgar Wright revealed that he and Kevin Feige finally buried the hatchet. To offer some context, Wright worked on Ant-Man back in 2003 with Joe Cornish. At the time, Artisan Entertainment held the rights before it returned to Marvel Studios. At one point, it was part of the original 2006 line-up alongside Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America before getting delayed due to concerns the technology hasn’t quite caught up with the idea. After a second draft and test reel, it would join the franchise’s second phase before Feige gave him time to work on The World’s End.

The problem was that the standalone script was facing issues with the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s growth. As a result, creative differences due to constant rewrites led to Wright leaving the project two months before production start. Six years later, he revealed that they were able to bury the hatchet:

I’m very glad I did it… he was really touched that I had reached out, and I feel what he wrote was great. I told him that I read what he’d said about ‘Aliens’ to James Cameron, which he said was just wild. So it was nice, it’s a nice happy ending to that story.

It is great to hear that these two titans in the industry were able to make amends. Wright left a lasting impact on how to do visual comedy in the industry. He moved on to direct Baby Driver, which continued to skyrocket his cinematic career that started in 2004 with Shaun of the Dead. So, it was a huge loss for everyone involved that he could not realize his vision of the original script that Joss Whedon described as Marvel’s best. Now, it seems like a distant dream that may never see the light of day. Well, at least that was until Marvel Studios’ latest project, WandaVision, proved we are in new territory.

Marvel Studios’ expansion into long-form storytelling introduced us to a show that embraced its sitcom inspirations completely. It broke the formula that has plagued the releases even after the Marvel Creative Committee finally was disbanded. Kevin Feige had the freedom to give his directors more freedom. Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn confirmed that Marvel CEO Ike Perlmutter and his committee added haphazard notes that disrupted the production process, such as their decision to ax the Awesome Mix.

They probably added to the tension surrounding Wright‘s Ant-Man. After some time has passed since they got disbanded, we have a new and more diverse future for Marvel Studios. WandaVision is proof they are willing to explore new types of stories. Even their films have changed drastically over the years. Thor: Ragnarok proved how much freedom a director has nowadays. The MCU project is truly a vision that only Taika Waititi could bring to the silver screen. We are not talking about the same Marvel Studios from five years ago.

As such, there is a possibility they use the current multiversal storyline to create unique one-offs that explore existing characters. They could explore a past story within the MCU that doesn’t have to concern itself with the overarching storyline too much. How about we go back in time to follow a young Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne becoming heroes in a pulp-era? The early times of using Pym particles and his adventures as Ant-Man. It still feels like the one storyline Marvel has yet to explore, and it is a waste. It would be a great Disney+ film or TV series, where he can go wild with ideas that were tragically lost when the original script got scrapped. Even if that chapter ended, I will always keep out a little hope that there is a possibility of him returning and make the film he worked so many years on.

Source: Collider, IndieWire, Collider (Creative Committee), SlashFilm

February 4, 2021
‘WANDAVISION’: The Theory of Knowing Nothing

Spoiler Warning ahead for Episode 4

For years, people on the internet have gone out of their way to make theories and speculations about the upcoming MCU films and for a time, people started to get a sense of the direction that Marvel Studios wanted to take these films in. Albeit being by reading the source material the films base themselves on, seeing set pictures, breaking down trailers and clips frame by frame. These are all standard things fans and writers do when they try to unravel the mystery behind any project. I include myself in the list of people who spend their time trying to piece together a story based on these facts. And it would help me predict many plot points from previous MCU projects at the time. But WandaVision truly is a challenge to many theorists. Mainly because Marvel has broken its standard formula and genuinely surprises us each week with every episode that comes up. And Marvel truly wasn’t lying when they said “We just don’t know what to expect.”

The mind of a theorist can be truly interesting at times. For example, when watching the first minute of the 4th episode and seeing Monica “return”, I thought of a number of different theories in a span of a minute. At first, I thought we were following the events of what happened after the 3rd episode and that what we saw was just Monica’s mind coming back after being “Geraldine” in Westview for so long. Then I thought that what was happening was that Monica had actually obtained her powers and didn’t know how to control them. As we cut to the hospital room, my theories started to fall apart as I realized that we were back at the time of Avengers: Endgame, when the snapped or “blipped” were brought back by Bruce Banner. What happened there was a brilliant example of what happened to everyone who had been theorizing about WandaVision and the direction this show will take. And it did a brilliant job of changing up the script on all of us.

There’s a scene in Episode 4 where pretty much every single theorist gave a collective sigh as they had to erase everything they thought they knew about WandaVision and start from scratch. And you can tell Marvel had a lot of fun making that episode as a lot of us could potentially relate to being in S.W.O.R.D.’s position. When S.W.O.R.D. started identifying the people in Westview and revealed0 that they were just “cast” in Wanda’s reality, so many theories about this show just collectively went out the window. Herb as the High Evolutionary, The Harts being amalgamations or demons that are after Wanda’s children, Phil Jones, and the possibility of Arcanna Jones appearing in this series. The point being that Marvel really flipped the script on us by making us think that we know everything when in reality, we practically are still in the dark about this show, and every episode introduces a new aspect that leaves fans just buzzing with new ideas. “What happened to the beekeeper after Wanda said no? Who is censoring the broadcast of what’s happening in Westview? Why is it even being broadcast in the first place? Is Wanda literally imagining all of this happening with Vision’s dead corpse?” And that’s just from this last episode alone.

This is why WandaVision is so interesting in the first place. We’ve grown used to expecting big Marvel fight scenes and straightforward stories in the films. But by having a story like WandaVision play out as it does, it allows fans to make theories and try to look back at what the big mystery of the show truly is, only to realize that most of what they thought they knew was wrong. Having scenes like the ones where S.W.O.R.D. is at the command center watching the first episode of WandaVision as if they were us really allows for fans to have more of a connection to the characters of the show and its what keeps bringing back fans for more to try to uncover the mystery of what’s really going on in WandaVision. So maybe, in this new phase of the MCU, Marvel’s new plan isn’t really to follow the same ol’ strategy, but rather explore the universe it’s established with new characters and different storytelling formats that could make the films and shows less predictable.

February 4, 2021