The following article contains spoilers for WandaVision.
After weeks of speculating and theorizing, the first season of WandaVision came to an end, leaving many Marvel fans disappointed. The internet wanted a surprise cameo, an explanation for what happened to white Vision, and the longest-running theory of Mephisto’s appearance to come true. However, the show didn’t offer any of that. What it did succeed at offering, apart from the epic introduction to the Scarlet Witch, was an appeal to non-Marvel fans.
While Wanda is a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the scriptwriters of the show managed to cast her in a light that made her seem more human than a superhero. Of course, she had her moments of casting her powerful chaos magic, but her grief became the driving force behind the nine-episode series. Wanda had created an entire alternate reality in Westview, all so she could live happily with the man, or android, that she loved. And this got non-Marvel fans hooked to the series.
Marvel has always managed to gracefully include a superhero’s backstory into their films. Many of them have lost a loved one or at some point struggled with their identity. While all of the MCU films offer action-packed sequences, they also appeal to the viewer’s emotions. They have succeeded at making fans sit at the edge of their seats in anticipation, laugh at the witty jokes and cry at moments of loss. Viewers get a chance to emotionally connect with their favorite superheroes, which only leads to fans being more invested in the plot.
Most storylines revolve around the heroes going up against the big bad villain. But, the MCU is a franchise that is not afraid to add humor or grief to a typically serious topic. Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man is the perfect example of that. While a device helps keep his heart beating, without which he could potentially die, Iron Man continues to be a witty, and crude, hero who eventually goes on to sacrifice himself in Avengers: Endgame to save the rest of humanity.
With WandaVision, Marvel seems to have figured out how to cut past the viewers’ defenses and make them feel the same emotions that their lead character does perfectly. It might just be the best thing that TV has had to offer this year, in any genre. Over the course of the season, it became obvious that people who had no interest in the MCU were also drawn to Wanda’s story. Non-Marvel fans were participating in online discussions and keeping track of the stages of grief that Wanda was experiencing. It was almost as if the viewers could relate to her loss.
In Episode 8, “Previously On”, viewers got to peek into Wanda’s tragic backstory, and even those who haven’t been following the movies in the MCU that lead up to the events of WandaVision, understood the cause of Wanda’s grief. It all begins when she first loses her parents. Viewers finally understand the reason behind the sitcom world of Westview – Wanda’s love for American sitcoms and how she felt most at home when she watched them with her family. But, the happy picture is suddenly ripped away with an explosion. As Agatha reveals, Wanda uses a “probability hex” to stop a second bomb from going off and that seems to start her journey of using magic when overcome with emotions.
After losing her parents and being a subject of experimentation by HYDRA, Wanda loses her twin brother, Pietro. In Avengers: Age of Ultron, when her brother dies, Wanda lets out a burst of power that destroys all of Ultron’s minions that surround her. Once again, her emotions lead to excessive use of her chaos magic.
Episode 8 of WandaVision goes on to reveal how after losing Pietro, and being at her lowest, Vision is the one who stands by her. “But what is grief, if not love persevering.” Those words spoken by Vision struck a chord with the viewers and could potentially be the most iconic scene in the entire series, while also being the crux of the story. When Wanda loses Vision, events depicted in Avengers: Endgame, it becomes obvious that her grief is now too much for even a superhero to handle. Revealing the true strength of her power, which is once again being fueled by her emotions, she manages to create a world where Vision is alive and well.
Having the ability to bring back a loved one from the dead might be a super power that every living being would wish for. Dealing with loss and the grief it brings is not easy, and the way Wanda deals with it is what makes her more human and relatable. She is seen steadily going through the five stages of grief – denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and finally acceptance that the perfect world she created cannot be sustained forever.
It also helped that WandaVision took the route of the sitcom format. While the first three episodes left Marvel fans wondering what was even happening, it brought in a lot of viewers who were interested in the classic sitcom genre, with a live audience and elaborate sets. As the show went through different decades, viewers started recognizing the sitcoms that the episodes were based on, making people more interested.
From The Dick Van Dyke Show, Bewitched, The Brady Bunch, all the way to Malcolm in the Middle and Modern Family, fans of the respective shows started tuning in to catch the series’ recreation of their favorite sitcom. Each episode had creative opening credits and a unique theme song based on the respective era, which was definitely a bonus. It is almost as if WandaVision was a love letter to television itself.
While magic was a major part of the show, with exceptional special effects and several MCU Easter eggs planted all over, WandaVision’s ability to include grief into its script so naturally and playing out the sitcom parodies succeeded at getting non-Marvel fans interested in the series. And with it coming to an end, perhaps the MCU could have gained a lot more fans, with followers of WandaVision potentially curious about what the universe has to offer. Overall, it was a great success for Marvel and Disney Plus.
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