The Marvel Comics Universe (MCU) has made its way to the small screen and with it, gifted us with a new style of storytelling.
Marvel usually deals in tangible triumphs and tragedies, but this television series focuses on the intangible aftermath of the Avengers: Infinity Wars victory and loss.
WandaVision is the story of a widow grieving, not for just her husband, but for the loss of a compelling future.
With its final episode having aired March 5, WandaVision takes its audience to a world away from an MCU action film in the best way possible.
This character-centred television series takes place in a sitcom parody, complete with paper towel infomercials, stylised title and credit sequences. It does not disappoint.
The groundbreaking series opens with Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) playing house in the 1950s. Wanda Maximoff sets her sitcom in the ever-evolving town of Westview and, as the season progresses, the town jumps through the decades. Each episode mirrors iconic sitcoms such as I Love Lucy, Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie, The Brady Bunch, Family Ties, Full House, and Modern Family.
At first glance, the plotline is focused on the idealised dramas of a small town, with things such as dinner parties, talent shows, and unexpected pregnancies. Wanda can be seen to take refuge from her reality inside a suburban world of nosy neighbours, domestic squabbles, and quippy one-liners. However, it comes to light that Wanda’s sitcom dream-come-true is Vision’s Truman Show nightmare-turned-reality.
The novelty of the sitcom design is only enough to distract viewers from the apparent tragedy in the first couple of episodes. Eventually, the show within a show reveals itself to be a coping mechanism for Wanda’s grief.
Whilst the paradox of a sitcom within a television series was original, Wanda’s nostalgia and escapism through old sitcoms is an almost universal experience. Sitcom re-runs have long been a place where viewers seek out safety and community and Wanda is no exception. There is no doubt by mid-way through the series that she is re-creating the scenes of classic American sitcoms from her childhood to deny her grief and find safety in the certainty and structure of predictable happy endings.
On a less existential note, if the legacy of the Avengers franchise and sitcom nostalgia are not enough to convince you, the series is worth watching just to understand the Agnes Harkness memes. What is being called the ‘WandaVision Wink’ is quickly becoming the next great relatable meme to exaggerate sarcasm.
Despite the series' lead characters being superheroes, it is hard to place WandaVision solely in the action genre box. The series would maybe be better classified as a drama-focussed character development. WandaVision is an engaging watch from beginning to end and the show’s puzzle box formula suits binge-watching.
WandaVision is the Marvel franchise’s first exploration into television. MCU’s upcoming series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki, What if…?, Ms Marvel and Hawkeye will all be aired on Disney+ later this year.
It’s safe to say the final episode of WandaVision has left fans fervently waiting on the edge of their seats to see what’s next to come from the Avengers franchise.
