At last year’s San Diego Comic-Con, fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) were told of a very exciting new offering coming to Disney+, featuring the backstory of two beloved Avengers characters.
WandaVision, a series based on superheroes and romantic partners Scarlet Witch — whose real name is Wanda Maximoff — and Vision (hence WandaVision), stars Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany reprising their roles from The Avengers franchise.
So, before the “mega-event series” hits the streaming service, here’s everything we already know.
WandaVision is a blend of classic television and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in which Wanda Maximoff (Olsen) and Vision (Bettany) — two super-powered beings living idealised suburban lives—begin to suspect that everything is not as it seems.
“It’s gonna get weird,” Olsen told the audience at Comic-Con. “We’re gonna go deep, we’re gonna have lots of surprises, and we’re gonna finally understand Wanda Maximoff as the Scarlet Witch.”
WandaVision is set in the MCU with the events taking place post-Avengers: Endgame — and if the teasers are anything to go by, it will be set through the years.
The Plot
The story follows superheroes, Scarlet Witch — who is a powerful sorceress, and Vision, who is an android, and their relationship — with the show then leading directly into Doctor Strange: In the Multiverse of Madness (May 2021).
But, before you scream that Vision was a casualty of Thanos’ Infinity War, there are a few ways for Wanda to bring him back — time-travelling and dimension-hopping.
A theory, by Yahoo! Entertainment, even hinted that Wanda could have been so devastated by losing her loved one that she created her own world based on old sitcoms and her love of classic American TV.
And what about their babies, Wiccan and Speed, who are introduced in the comics?
Well, an eagle eye fan spotted an official casting-call under the working title “Big Red”, looking for “caucasian baby boys or girls (single, twin, triplets or combos) 6 months and under” — but the call could easily be for a flashback.
For reference this is the actual casting call (Big Red is the working title for WandaVision) https://t.co/Xyf3lE0xOH pic.twitter.com/3rq0UJikse
— Jacob (@JacobFisherDF) October 12, 2019
The Trailer
When Will it be Released?
Marvel Studios’ new series has been announced to premiere on January 15, 2021, exclusively on Disney+.
The announcement was made alongside a new video featuring signature MCU characters Wanda and Vision in intriguing new surroundings.
A new era arrives. Marvel Studios’ @WandaVision, an Original Series, is streaming Jan. 15 on #DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/aejE6DNR35
— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) November 12, 2020
How Long Will It Go For?
In an interview with Variety, Olsen said that the series would run for a total of six hours and that “Paul [Bettany] and I are really excited.”
“They have a great group of writers,” she added.
Cast
The key ensemble cast supporting Olsen and Bettany are Teyonah Parris (Dear White People) as Monica Rambeau, Kat Dennings (Dollface) as Darcy Lewis, Randall Park (Fresh off the Boat) as Jimmy Woo and Kathryn Hahn (Mrs Fletcher) as a “nosy neighbour”.
What Type of Series Will it Be?
WandaVision will be Marvel’s very first sitcom (without a laughing track).
During an interview with Yahoo Entertainment, Olsen revealed: “We can confidently say it is [a sitcom]” with Bettany adding: “That’s how it begins and it moves into more familiar epic territory later. But it’s absolutely a mash-up of sitcoms.”
The Official Artwork
Artist Andy Park took to his Twitter account in August last year, unveiling a painting during the “early concept phase of pre-production”.
The poster, which was created for D23 (The Official Disney Fan Club expo) featured Bettany and Olsen sitting on a couch, dressed in 1950s costumes, with their superhero alter-ego’s shadowed behind them.
WANDAVISION!!! Official D23 poster I had the honor of painting during the early concept phase of preproduction. This @DisneyPlus show is gonna be something totally fresh.. & weird! #ElizabethOlsen #PaulBettany @DisneyD23 #D23Expo #D23Expo2019 #Disney+ @MarvelStudios #WandaVision pic.twitter.com/VJU4p05Pmb
— Andy Park (@andyparkart) August 25, 2019
In the same Variety interview, Olsen said: “There’s quite a few other comic books that we’re pulling from and it’s going to be Wanda and the Vision, and I think at the Disney+ launch chat, they showed a photo of us in the ’50s.”
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