Tag: WandaVision

How ‘WandaVision’ and the Mind Stone Could Set Up the MCU’s Future

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.

Source: Youtube

January 27, 2021
A Shift in Perspective in the Next ‘WandaVision’ Episode

Episode 4 of Disney+’s streaming hit WandaVision is set to become a pivotal point for the show. After only the first three episodes being shown ahead of time to select reviewers (our own Charles Villanueva being one of them), one would expect that there might be a reason why Marvel Studios drew the line where it did in terms of getting even more information surrounding the show out there. And now, as we reach the half-way point of what is the sitcom-themed portion of the season, even the biggest stars of the show aren’t holding back in terms of hyping what, to them, might be the biggest episode yet.

Paul Bettany says Episode 4 will “blow our [the audience’s] minds”, but it’s the words chosen by Elizabeth Olsen that might help us better understand what might be in store this Friday. While being interviewed by DigitalSpy, Olsen said:

I think the reason why they show the press the first episodes is because Episode 4 is quite a shift. It’s a really fun perspective swap and I think a lot gets understood at that moment.

The keyword here seems to be “perspective swap” and how that might help answer a few questions the first three episodes set up. I remembered how on Lost, after witnessing the crash of Oceanic Flight 815 in season one, the first episode of the third season showed us the exact same event from the perspective of The Others, which was when we learned how Ethan and Goodwin first infiltrated the survivors of the crash. WandaVision might end up doing something similar, if not with an entire episode, at least with a few flashback sequences where we get to experience events we’ve already seen, but from the perspective of those coming from outside Westview. And the best thing is that there is previously released footage that seems to indicate just that.

On the story featurette released by Marvel Studios on January 15th, we get multiple shots of sequences that happened in the first three episodes that we haven’t seen yet. The fact that they are through the eyes of both Geraldine and the beekeeper instead of Wanda or Vision, who have been the audience’s vehicles so far, helps to understand how that “perspective swap” might transpire.

First, we get the encounter between Wanda, Vision, and the beekeeper, from his point of view. When he first appeared in Episode 2 he was the focus of attention, but what we get from this other footage is that Wanda and Vision have now taken up that role. He is watching them, and it will be interesting to see if, a few seconds later, after Wanda says “No!”, he gets to see them rewind into their home or if he himself is rewound back into the sewers. Speaking of sewers, we also get a show of him entering the Westview Bubble through there. He seems to be wearing a suit that turns into the beekeeper outfit, something that the reality inside the bubble sees as a better fit to its timeline.

We will probably also get Geraldine’s side of the story, as there are a couple of shots of Geraldine first coming into contact with the bubble in the presence of Jimmy Woo, at a time the military presence outside of Westview was still nowhere to be seen. There is also new footage of Geraldine being thrown out of the bubble by Wanda, something that might help in recapping that event. We see her flying out towards the outskirts of town while also getting a shot that explains how she left the Vision residence. Through the wall, one that Wanda is seen reconstructing. This goes hand-in-hand with what Olsen said in an interview with TvLine, that what happened between her character and Geraldine is..

answered in the following episode

There might be a few more sequences that we haven’t seen yet that’ll help provide that perspective shift Olsen speaks of, with several lingering questions maybe being answered, but with a few more being raised. In three days, we will all know for sure.

Source: Twitter, Digital Spy, YouTube, TVLine

January 26, 2021
EXCLUSIVE: Podcasting with David Lengel from Marvel Studios ‘WANDAVISION’

In a special bonus episode of Murphy’s Law, Charles and Charles sit down for an exclusive interview with the hilarious David Lengel, the man behind the mustache and the funniest neighbor on Marvel Studios Disney Plus streaming series WandaVision.

David talks about how he landed the role, the on-set secrecy, those awesome zingers and the theory that Phil Jones might actually be married to Squadron Supreme sorceress Arcanna!

January 25, 2021
‘WANDAVISION’: Time in a Bubble

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.

January 25, 2021
‘Wandavision’: Agnes Makes Sure You Learn Your Lines

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.

January 22, 2021
How ‘WandaVision’ Embraces J. J. Abram’s ‘Lost’ Mystery Box

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

Source: TED

January 22, 2021
‘WANDAVISION’ Episode 3 Primer

The first two episodes of WandaVision covered a lot of ground. In episode one, Wanda and Vision got married, Wanda made a new friend, Agnes, Vision got a job at Computational Services inc. In the second episode, Wanda and Vision were making every effort to fit in. Vision went to a neighborhood watch meeting to be “one of the guys.” During that meeting, he swallowed a piece of gum and got all wacky. Meanwhile, Wanda went to a planning committee meeting where she first met Geraldine, played by Teyonah Parris, who we know was cast as Monica Rambeau. Wanda and Vision even won an award at the talent show. Dor most of the time, Wanda and Vision were living the American dream in Westview.

However, there were a lot of weird things in these two episodes. Even though Wanda and Vision’s life seems to be nice and easy, something isn’t right here. Almost Immediately it is obvious things aren’t quite right, such as when they can’t remember why there is a heart on the calendar. They are confused and can’t seem to remember a lot. When Agnes comes over to say hello to her new neighbors, Wanda can’t seem to answer any questions about her life. While at work, it’s obvious Vision doesn’t know what they do at his job. When Vision’s boss comes over for dinner, they can’t answer anything about themselves like when they were married, or where they moved from. At the end of the first episode, things got even weirder when we realized that their “show” was being observed by a S.W.O.R.D. agent.

The strangeness carries into episode two with the loud banging outside their bedroom. It continued when Wanda found a S.W.O.R.D. logo on a helicopter, which was in color when everything else was black and white, in the rosebushes of their house. When Wanda was at the committee meeting she stayed after to help Dottie clean up, during this time the radio started saying “Wanda, who is doing to you?!”. Whatever happened with the radio seemed to make Dottie snap out of some sort of trance. Finally, at the end of the second episode, when Wanda and Vision found out they were having a baby, they were interrupted by another loud bang. Outside they saw a man in a beekeeper suit with the S.W.O.R.D. logo and it was here things got even weirder when we saw Wanda “rewind” time. There are also those creepy commercials that have led fans to develop a lot of crazy theories. Both episodes gave plenty of hints that Wanda and Vision’s American dream might be more of an American nightmare.

Arlyn’s Assumptions

Wanda’s rapidly advancing pregnancy means that the long-awaited debut of Billy and Tommy is going to happen soon. In the comics, the twins have a very complicated back story, so the question is will it play out in WandaVision? Are they going to go into the complicated comic book storyline or will they create their own unique path in the MCU? I think Marvel Studios might make it a little easier and let the kids travel between whatever reality it is that they are into the real world. Wanda hasn’t figured out who Geraldine actually is, but she is bound to find out as we’ve seen in the trailer and it didn’t seem like Wanda would be too happy about it. It doesn’t seem like it’s going to be too long before the happy couple’s bubble bursts.

The third episode of WandaVision streams tomorrow on Disney Plus.

January 21, 2021
Theory Thursday: Dottie’s True Identity

Dottie is the key to everything in this town…

With the debut of WandaVision last week, the first 2 episodes certainly left viewers with a lot more questions than answers. Why is everything in black and white? Why are we in the past? Why is there a laugh track? How did Wanda rewind the tape? All very valid questions. But perhaps one of the most important ones being asked is, Who is Dottie? There have been a number of theories popping up here and there. Some believe Dottie is the leader of her own cult or coven of witches in Westview. Others believe she is the sorceress Clea. Others think she may actually be the supernatural being known as Mephisto. I actually have another interesting idea in regards to who Dottie may be. But for this character, we’re going to have to dig deep into the Marvel Comics lore.

Dottie is…Arcanna Jones

Arcanna Jones is a very classic Marvel Comics character, dating back to her debut in the 1980s, as part of the Squadron Supreme. While very little of her personal history is known, she has 1 unique characteristic: Arcanna was born with magical abilities. And not only that, but she is a full-on sorceress. Arcanna has magical ability over the elements of nature, earth, air, fire, and water, as well as the ability to cast illusions. Perhaps her connection to nature is why her roses are “divine” and “grow under penalty of death.” But how did I come to this conclusion? There’s one key character that connects it all together.

Phil Jones looks more than meets the eye.

At first glance, Phil Jones looks like the stereotypical side character of the show. But I assure you, he’s far from it. In the comics, Phil Jones is actually Arcanna’s husband and in WandaVision, we know that Phil Jones is married to Dottie. So perhaps in this new reality inside WandaVision, Arcanna underwent a similar change to that of Kathryn Hann’s Agnes, whom many believe to be Agatha Harkness, and assumed a new identity as Dottie.

What do you guys think? Is Dottie Arcanna? Or someone else?

January 21, 2021
‘WANDAVISION’ Theory: Wanda Is Doing This to Wanda

“Who’s doing this to you Wanda?” a voice crackles over the vintage 1950’s radio as Wanda gapes at it, shocked to hear someone speaking to her through it, and into her sitcom reality before it inexplicably smokes and blows up. Or more specifically, Wanda blows it up. Because in a twist not even the great detective Jimmy Woo, or S.W.O.R.D. saw coming: Wanda is doing this to Wanda.

Now, you may ask: “Why doesn’t S.W.O.R.D. or Woo know it’s her doing it all then?” A possible explanation is that they believe her to be one of the good ones again after that big half the universe at stake battle with Thanos, and they just naturally assume that this strange phenomena is another villain trying to hurt her. There is also the very strong possibility that they were not yet aware of the extent and true nature of Wanda’s powers, or that she was even remotely capable of changing the entire visual aesthetic of a suburban town, building that big red hex field around it, and taking control of all its citizens. While Wanda is super powerful, this is a significantly more complex and astonishing power than simply moving objects and blasting enemies. So from their point of view, it’s the most likely scenario that someone else is doing this to Wanda and the town. So they seek her out in an effort to figure out how to help.

Your next question might be: “But what about Agnes/Agatha?! What about Mephisto?! What about *insert villain here*?! One of them must be up to something!” Bear in mind, I’m not saying that at some point someone or something wicked won’t (this way) come into the picture to take advantage of Wanda and this whole situation. Because I definitely have strong suspicions that will happen. What I am saying is that for now, as far as episode one and two of WandaVision goes, I believe Wanda is in charge of and responsible for every stitch of this. For the time being anyway, Wanda is doing this to Wanda.

Let’s start with that ill-fated radio I mentioned earlier. Everything was sunshine and monochrome daisies, music was playing, she was getting some pointers laced with animosity from Dottie, (for the moment, posing as Westview’s resident Mean Girl), when the darn thing started buzzing and bursting Wanda’s alternate reality bubble by asking her what in the Sam Hill is going on?! So Wanda blew it up! It was messing with her vibe, it was breaking her fourth wall. Most importantly, it was taking her out of the fantasy that her beloved dreambot Vision is still alive and they are married and living happily ever after in TV land. Simply put, that gosh darn radio had it coming.

Further evidence that Wanda is in charge comes up in the first episode of WandaVision as well. Wanda is clearly trying to get her and Vision’s story straight pretty early on with Agnes, as she tries to think of a good reason the heart was marked on the calendar, among other details of their lives in this sitcom. Agnes runs through the possibilities as if Wanda is trying to think of it herself on the fly. At first, she’s simply playing out the fantasy and working on this week’s hilarity-filled storyline. A similar guessing game goes on between Vision and his co-worker about their job. It’s not long before, in typical “uh-oh these crazy mixed-up kids” sitcom fashion, Vision comes to a very different conclusion about the heart on their kitchen calendar than Wanda does. His conclusion being that it’s meant to remind them about a special dinner to impress his very demanding boss Mr. Hart and his wife, while Wanda deduces that it must be their anniversary.

The interesting question here to me, is whether or not Wanda is “writing” this part of Vision alone within her fantasy, perhaps whilst sitting on the couch staring at the boob tube, trying to think of the types of stories she was used to seeing in these classic shows. But is she working out everything in her head almost like a fan fiction writer might about their favorite shows and characters, or has she has actually given Vision enough life and free will within the fantasy to act for himself some of the time? And what about his body? Has she reanimated him somehow or is he completely an imaginary figure within this world? What about the other characters? Real and controlled or completely imaginary?

Certain sneak peeks in the trailers and other clues within both episodes seem to indicate that the cast of characters within Westview, are real people but controlled, with some degree of consciousness about their plight, and that they are being largely controlled by Wanda for the purposes of her fantasy. Yes, I would argue, even Dottie and Agnes are being controlled by Wanda for the sake of her story, at least at this point in the series. For instance, you will notice that just prior to the radio blowing up, Dottie asks Wanda, in a much more frightened and confused tone than the confident and kind of bitchy one she had before, “Who is that? Who are you?” It’s as if Dottie momentarily breaks out of the control Wanda had, due to the radio interruption, and reverted to her true self. There are also moments within the trailer where a woman putting up clothing on a line is crying, as if she’s trapped in the moment, and another where Agnes is asking, with a bit more fragility in her voice, “Are you here to help us?” All are indicators the characters are being forced to do things against their wills.

Only time will tell the degree to which Vision has life and power over his own actions within this fantasy. I will say though, that Vision’s free will seems limited within the context of this first episode at least. And if Vision has not actually been given at least a degree of life and free-thinking, through Wanda’s imagination and machinations, it seems from previews of future episodes that he does gain more free will later on as he realizes something strange is going on and goes to investigate.

One reason I question the degree of Vision’s free will early on lies within the first episode, during dinner with the Harts. A few months ago, Edward (@superherotheor1) and I had a conversation in prep for one of his articles about the Harts’ dinner date with Vision and Wanda. In our discussion, I brought up the idea that Wanda is the author of the story of this 1950’s show. Anyone who has ever written fictional stories themselves knows, it doesn’t just come spilling out onto the page, you have to plan it, and sort out details and build worlds. Our lovely Ms. Maximoff has a distinct advantage over pretty much all writers of this world, in that she can change her own reality around her, rather than having to just picture it in her head. Wanda’s world she’s building is based on sitcoms and her love of Vision, but the devil is in the details. Coming up with just the right details, that make sense for a story, can be frustrating at times, and cause you to stop and start and stop again with a story. So when the Harts start to ask too many questions, this flusters Wanda quite a bit and starts to break her out of her fantasy. She takes out her frustrations almost on herself, at first, through Arthur Hart. Because she has control over both the citizens and the fantasy within the world, Arthur’s anger, pounding the table, and demanding answers of her is more like an extension of her own frustration with not knowing all the right answers to best continue the fantasy. But Wanda does not want to be taken out of this world of make-believe by the frustration of all these unanswered questions, so she changes the subject by causing him to choke on his dinner.

Wanda goes a little Darth Vader on Mr. Hart in this story and for a moment changes the storyline to get out of answering questions she hasn’t fully worked out. The reason it’s so very clear to me that it is her doing it, is the faces of the other two actors in the scene. This scene is also the main reason I question the degree of Vision’s free will within the first episode. As Mr. Hart is on the floor choking and clearly in distress, Vision looks at her obediently, and yet, concerned. If he were fully in control, the Vision we all know and love would most certainly immediately save the man. But it’s all up to the little Mrs. here. So he sits and watches her, and waits, as he pleads to her with his eyes. On the other side of the table, Mrs. Hart repeats the words “stop it, stop it, stop it.” At first, she says it as if it’s a joke being played by her cantankerous husband, but then her attention shifts to Wanda. Debra Jo Rupp does something special here, a layering of emotion that creeps across her face and seeps into her voice. I take note of this bit of acting because I can really see there how her character is being forced to play a part, to paste on a smile and get behind the whole charade. As the scene turns more ominous and possibly deadly, there is a look of terror growing in her eyes and her voice combined with the forced facade of continuing to act as Wanda wants her. Then you see that Mrs. Hart has turned from saying “stop it” to her husband as if he’s joking to begging Wanda specifically to stop it, stop it before her husband chokes to death. It certainly gets real there for a moment. Thankfully Wanda comes back from the “dark side” and she allows Vision to save Arthur. Inexplicably, Mr. Hart gets up, Mrs. Hart too, and heads out as if nothing terrible had very nearly happened. Arthur even suggests they talk about a promotion for Vision which causes the studio audience to cheer. While this successfully changes the subject and the tone of the episode back to the lighter-hearted tone it had begun with, there remains something more ominous lurking in the underbelly throughout the end of the second episode, as we now have to wonder how far Wanda will go to make her Wanda and Vision wedded bliss fantasy, her reality.

January 20, 2021
The Commercials of ‘WANDAVISION’ Might Be Selling More Than We Think

As we’ve seen so far, the commitment to making the first 2 episodes of WandaVision as authentic to the sitcoms of old was pretty next-level. Whether it was the live studio audience, the aspect ratio of the screen or even the audio, it was clear that a great deal of effort was expended both in the planning and execution of making these sitcoms as close to the “real deal” as possible. No network sitcom would be complete without some great advertising and product placement targeting the subconscious of the viewer. To that end, Marvel Studios prepared an impressive and unexpected ad campaign based around the tragedies that have befallen Wanda Maximoff.

These have been widely broken down and discussed but with another episode of WandaVision just a couple of days away, it’s a good time to get your gears spinning again in anticipation of the continued trip through Wanda’s tragic past. So far, both episodes of WandaVision have had short commercials hosted by actors Ithamar Enriquez and Victoria Blade. While they’re definitely following the script of 50’s and 60’s TV commercials, the couple themselves are a bit of an enigma and have been the source of some pretty wild and pretty great theories, including one of great interest: that the commercial hosts are the parents of Wanda and Pietro Maximoff. In all of Marvel Comics there’s probably no more muddled, twisted and retconned backstory than that of Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch. It seems like most casual fans are under the impression that their father is the classic X-Men villain Magneto, but that’s not been the case for some time, and in fact, in current continuity, Wanda and Pietro are no longer mutants dating back to 2014’s AXIS event. While it’s highly unlikely that Enriquez is Magneto incognito, the case could be made that he’s some version of Django Maximoff, the brother of the twins’ mother, Natalya, and the man that raised them as his own children. If that’s the case, it’s possible that Blade is playing either his wife, Marya, or, more intriguingly, his sister Natalya.

As explained in James Robinson’s 2015 Scarlet Witch, Natalya Maximoff was herself an incredibly powerful witch herself from a line of witches who each held the title of Scarlet Witch before Wanda inherited it. A panel from Robinson’s series was among the many we found in the background of the Expanding the Universe documentary, indicating that it was likely a book that had some influence on the development of WandaVision. The One-Above-All himself has told us that this series will explore the backstory of Wanda and see her truly become the Scarlet Witch, so it’s not completely ridiculous to think that we might just be meeting (or already have met) Wanda’s mother.

As for the nature of the commercials themselves, while it’s clear that they are alluding to the tragedies that have befallen Wanda, there’s certainly some more subtext to them than that. The toaster in the first commercial has widely been interpreted as analogous to the bomb that Wanda and Pietro talked about in Avengers: Age of Ultron, but the tagline (“Forget the past, this is your future”) is clearly aimed less at viewers and more at Wanda herself. The Strucker watch in the second commercial is a clear call back to the time she spent being experimented on by Baron Strucker and Doctor List, but its appearance in an episode that reveals time isn’t quite right (Wanda appears visibly pregnant the morning after she and Vision get it on) is also probably relevant.

As we move forward, we can certainly expect to see other tragedies relived (the deaths of her brother and Vision sure to be among them), but let’s also continue to pay attention to the hints to Wanda being trapped, apparently against her will, which are coming through in classic commercial attacks on the subconscious.

A new episode of WandaVision streams this Friday!

January 20, 2021