Before the pandemic, before the lockdowns and social distancing, the Marvel Cinematic Universe was well underway in developing its phase four projects.
"Black Widow" (2021) was on its way to release with many Disney+ shows like "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" (2021) and "Hawkeye" (2021) all ready to release later that year. But life gets in the way and the MCU was hit. Executive delays brought the MCU to the halt just like the rest of the world. For months the question on every comic book fan's mind was when will the MCU begin again. And now, with light seemingly at the end of the tunnel, Disney has been slowly getting back on its feet, and what better way to showcase than none other than "WandaVision" (2021).
"WandaVision" (2021) surprisingly was a project not meant to kick off phase four.
Behind the Scenes planning, however, determined that it was the show closer to completion than "The Falcon and The Winter Soldier" and thus the final edits and special effects were added in order to complete the narrative. The series was hyped up in mystery, President of Marvel Studios Kevin Feige was hush-hush on the details for years, only teasing it as something fantastical and shrouded in mystery. Going into the series, I was not sure what to expect for I felt the lack of clarity negated all excitement I had for the film. However, by the first episode, I was intrigued.
The show follows Wanda Maximoff post "Avengers: Endgame" (2019), in seemingly an alternate reality. Viewers hopping back into the MCU will definitely be confused as to why characters like Vision are alive after meeting an untimely demise in "Avengers: Infinity War" (2018). However, over time the show unveils the curtain a little bit more and we the viewer get to see the truth that lies in the town of Westview.
Watching the show every week was something that brought a little bit of normalcy in this pandemic world.
Every week my friends and I would hop into discord and discuss the plot and our theories of where the season will go. "WandaVision" (2021) wants you to stay invested, watch each episode and see if you the viewer can uncover the truth of Wanda's reality. Each episode is centered around a different area of television that helps "WandaVision" (2021) stand out from other mind-reality-bending comic book shows that are on air right now. The show does a wonderful job of maintaining the mystery, covering the truth. One minute you will be mindlessly watching the episode and then an actor will break the character and talk directly to Wanda. Or other instances of scenes being cut mid recording and reshot. These small instances of fourth wall breaking made the internet go crazy. Being on WandaVision TikTok was a blast as seeing every week people discuss the episodes was truly a treat.
By the end of the season, I was extremely satisfied and it greatly set up the future of the MCU and phase four.
If you have not gotten Disney+ yet this show and "The Mandalorian" (2019-) are worth a watch! Wanda Maximoff has truly cemented herself as the center of phase four with this series and I cannot wait to see where she goes in Doctor Strange 2!
