2020 was supposed to see the release of the Marvelverse’s Phase IV films and shows. This was going to be jumpstarted with the Black Widow film starring Scarlett Johansson and The Winter Soldier and Falcon series on Disney+. However, due to COVID and the subsequent shutting down of movie theaters and sets, Phase IV has been put on hold. Until now.
According to a profile on Entertainment Weekly, Phase IV is finally launching with the Disney+ miniseries, WandaVision. WandaVision takes place after Endgame and chronicles the life of Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch and Paul Bettany’s Vision who are now a married couple. Creators decided to take a trip down memory lane. Each episode, which were all taped live, will replicate an era of sitcom beginning with the 50s through to the 90s. The show adds two new characters with Teyonah Parris’s grown up Monica Rambeau, the first Captain Marvel before Carol Danvers, and Kathryn Hahn’s Agnes, Wanda and Vision’s busy body neighbor. Below is more on the series:
Crew members came to set in ’50s-era clothing, and used period lenses and lighting to capture that dreamy vintage glow. The special-effects team employed wires and camera tricks straight from Bewitched or I Dream of Jeannie, making wine bottles appear to pour on their own and household appliances zoom about like magic. And when Vision’s familiar maroon skin didn’t look quite right in grayscale, the makeup artists painted Bettany blue instead.
Bettany and Olsen rehearsed their entrances and exits as if putting on a play, and at first, they say the notion of live performance terrified them more than any Marvel supervillain. But by the time they secured their first audience chuckle, the pair realized they might have missed their calling as sitcom stars. “It was insanity,” Olsen, 31, says with a laugh. “There was something very meta for my own life because I would visit those tapings as a kid, where my sisters were working [on Full House].”
“The show is a love letter to the golden age of television,” explains WandaVision head writer Jac Schaeffer. “We’re paying tribute and honoring all of these incredible shows and people who came before us, [but] we’re also trying to blaze new territory.”
Feige tapped Schaeffer (who worked on Black Widow and Captain Marvel) to serve as head writer, Mary Livanos as coexecutive producer, and Matt Shakman as director. (Shakman’s involvement added a meta layer: In addition to directing shows like Game of Thrones and Fargo, he was a child actor on the Growing Pains spin-off Just the Ten of Us.) Together, they sought to nail down WandaVision’s irreverent tone. Just as Vision himself is an odd amalgamation of both the homicidal robot Ultron and Tony Stark’s wisecracking computer J.A.R.V.I.S., so too is WandaVision a mash-up, marrying epic superhero action with small-town sitcom silliness.
Set after Endgame, the series starts with the married witch and android living in the idyllic town of Westview. “We find Wanda and Vision living a blissful suburban existence, trying to keep their powers under wraps,” Schaeffer teases. (A show about escaping into the soothing world of television seems particularly, uh, timely in 2020.) But as the newlyweds cycle through the decades — and the familiar TV tropes — they realize their white-picket-fence life may not be as gleamingly picture-perfect as it seems.
Even with all the sitcom shenanigans, the series remains grounded in Wanda and Vision’s tender romance. “They’ve had a long and gentle love affair, right?” Bettany says. “It’s a pretty quirky relationship. She’s a witch, he’s a robot. Or artificial person, or synthezoid, or whatever your preferred name tag.”
I am so looking forward to this series as I felt we Marvel-geeks were robbed when [spoiler alert for movies you’ve already seen] we lost Vision in Infinity War and Endgame. Vision and Wanda’s romance was completely unexpected for me but I loved their chemistry. I think Paul and Elizabeth have a special connection that comes through. It was super cute how Paul and Elizabeth said their first fight was over who was snotting on the other in a kissing scene.
I was looking forward to the Black Widow movie but I don’t mind waiting until I can see it in the theaters. Unfortunately, I don’t think ‘Rona is going to let up enough for us to get the full scale Marvel movies for at least another year. As Black Panther 2 is hanging in the air due to the death of Chadwick Boseman, I think kicking off Phase VI with WandaVision is quite shrewd. I like that they’re doing a deeper exploration of Scarlet Witch and Vision’s relationship. It’s savvy to conceptualize the show as a miniseries as well. I like the concept as I am a huge fan of sitcoms dating back to I Love Lucy. In fact, I stopped watching sitcoms in the late 90s so this is right up my alley. It would have been great to be in the live audience!
Here’s the interview:
Bettany was on the receiving and laughing about it end of wide beater depp’s texts about gleefully murdering his then wife, setting her on fire and raping her corpse.
So that’s all I think of when I see him.
Gosh, same. I can’t stand him now.
The fact he was one of the first to come out in support of Depp in 2016, knowing he had said that deeply disturbing sh*t, makes me side-eye Bettany HARD.
Yep, yep, yep
EXACTLY. A reporter needs to ask him about those texts.
The douche had me fooled too. I really hope his new series tanks and tanks hard. Ditto anything else this douche has upcoming.
Him & that idiot Sebastian Stan who plays the guy with the metal arm both got D+ shows coming & that ASSH0Le literally has been VACATIONING. He went from hotspot to hotspot. I didn’t even know this tool existed until the pandemic & I REALLY hope he faces hardcore consequences cuz I just some absurd vacation pics of his posted on the SAME DAY I comforted VIA ZOOM my friend of 20yrs who said gooodbye over AN iPAD to BOTH her parents bc of COVID
Paul Bethany & Sebastian Stan: pls let you careers burn in a fire. Absolute selfishness with zero regard for human life during this pandemic makes me actively root for the end of those dumb celebs
Yeah Marvel needs to be asking him all the questions about that.
Yeah, he’s a POS. He can go f**k a blender.
same here. I was really looking forward to this series, but now it is tainted by him
You know for some bizarre reason sometimes I see that dumb OLD commercial for Johnny Depp w/that Armani? Dior? cologne called La Savage or whatever…& last time I saw it came on after those texts came out…..
In the commercial Depp is in the desert with a shovel digging a hole what is alluded to as a grave
I don’t always have the same favorite characters as other people, so I realize I could be alone on this, but I could not possibly have less interest in these 2 characters. Their screentime in the movies was already too much for me. Also, I used to like Paul Bettany a lot, but not so much since his texts with Johnny Depp came out.
Same! I find both her character and acting insipid-gutted she’s in the new Dr strange movie. Vision was pretty dull, I preferred him as the AI system. And I didn’t know about the Depp stuff! what a scumbag. I’ll definitely not be watching this. (so happy that pedro pascal is a good human or I wouldn’t be able to watch the mandalorian!)
Oh wow, I totally disagree re: Wanda. I think she’s one of the more underrated characters in the franchise given how immense her powers are. I really like how she has progressed in the films and how she has learned to utilize her abilities. The scene in Endgame when she single-handedly stomps Thanos had my whole theatre cheering. I’m really excited about this series and seeing her finally embrace the mantle of the Scarlet Witch…
…Vision, however, I care very little about.
Hmmm Perhaps It’s the actress- scarjo has ruined black widow for me- she’s so bad!!! Maybe I just can’t see past Olsen’s bad acting. The way she calls vision ‘vis’ in infinity war makes me cringe so bad 😂
I’m excited because I suspect this is a segue to the House of M.
They could have Shuri take up the mantle of BP and still remain true to storylines, but for me it will always be too soon. 😔
Right? That’s why I’m interested in this. How does it lead into the films? Vision is dead and Wanda is trying to use her magic to bring him back. This could get very dark and weird.
Very much so! Especially because if I recall correctly, most of the lead heroes slated for movies in phase iv retain their powers during this storyline. I could be mistaken, though, but they’ve already altered the storylines so much already.
Whatever happens in the tv series directly effects Dr Strange’s sequel. After that, it’s by me bye Vision and Paul Bettany and onto the new Marvel phase.
I’m so excited for this show and what will open for the future of the MCU. And what about the live audience, they must’ve signed something because nothing leaked and everybody knows how thirst for spoilers all the Marvel fans are.
They had to sign strict NDAs
Elizabeth Olson, my goodness she’s annoying in that interview. So pretentious! And I say that as someone is is very pretentious. I’ve not ever paid attention to her or noticed her acting, but I would not be able to sit in a room while this woman is speaking.
And Paul Bettany: you are the company you keep. Complete trash
No time for Paul Bettany. Disappointed by the lack of accountability he’s been held to regarding celebrating domestic violence.
Me too! I only found out Bettany & Depp with those horrendous texts from celebitchy and now I can’t unsee! it’s really scary the deep hatred & violence towards women. Imagine what he says to Depp in person – maybe should be a American Pyscho (Brits too) golden-era tv series
I wonder what Jennifer Connelly had to say about them – the press need to call him to account on them but they won’t but maybe Wootton will run a nasty story about him as payback. Am sure Bettany has a few skeletons in his closet – considering those texts also revealed he did drugs with Depp.
I use to find Paul Bettany charming, not now when I see his smug face all I think about are the disgusting texts with Johnny Depp.
.
Same here. Won’t watch anything he’s in.
Okay, maybe I’m misremembering Infinity War, but didn’t Vision die by the hand of Thanos? How is he now alive?
The speculation is that it is either all going on in Wanda’s head as her way of processing her grief (or an illusion while under the influence of another character) or part of Wanda’s power set includes the ability to manipulate reality, which in-theory she could re-create him out of whole cloth.
In the comics, Wanda and Vision “have” children. I say “have” because indeed Wanda was pregnant. She had twins, who along the convoluted comic arcs eventually became Wiccan and Speed (Tommy and Billy). Lines up with some clips I’ve seen. Which I LOVE!!
There is a potential for the second generation here. Wiccan and Speed can meet up with Cassie (Scott Lang/Ant-Man’s daughter) and Morgan (Tony and Pepper’s daughter). A grown up Monique Lambeau has already been cast in the series (Maria Lambeau’s daughter from Captain Marvel, Maria was Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel’s bff).
I see a lot of potential for WandaVision to be ground laying for future Marvel movies and team ups. I’m excited.
@Dutch, that makes sense, thanks! I literally just watched Endgame this past weekend and was like “uhh yeah Vision is dead” 😛
I’m really looking forward to this and all the Marvel shows that are scheduled. It’s been a bit sad with no Marvel content in so long!
Meta. 🙄
Bettany is trash… move on, nothing more to see here
Ever since Disney bought Marvel, and Star Wars, I have zero interest in any of them. I am not a huge Disney fan with the way they handle storylines. Will not subscribe to Disney +, have no interest in anything put out by them.
The only thing I enjoy are the cute little memes of baby yoda even though I have never seen the series.
No time for Bettany here either. I really liked to see the guy act, but these Depp txts are disgusting. I never had that much interest in this concept, but would surely have had a look once it’s out. Now Wandavision can do one for all I’m concerned.
It’s actually not bad…baby yoda. I’m not a huge fan of what the company has done to the Star Wars franchise. And the only time we’ve actively sought out their wares was when the boys were little lol. But Rogue One and baby yoda could be worth your time.